The US Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, August 4th, 2026, to reconsider the nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general. This comes as former President Donald Trump vowed to revive a contentious $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund, despite opposition from some Senate Republicans.

Blanche’s confirmation has stalled due to a dispute between President Trump and outgoing Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis. Both senators seek written assurances that the Justice Department will not establish the proposed fund. Tillis has stated that individuals who attacked law enforcement during the January 6, 2021 riots should remain imprisoned and should not receive federal compensation.

A spokesperson for the committee said that Chuck Grassley, the committee chair and Iowa Republican, "wants Todd Blanche’s nomination to be successful" and would like to see Blanche confirmed before the August recess, citing his "excellent record restoring law and order and keeping Americans safe."

Trump, during a cabinet meeting on Friday, August 1st, 2026, expressed sympathy for those he believes were "horribly treated, horribly abused," and said he would like to see them compensated. He urged Republican senators to confirm Blanche, warning they "will never get anybody like him," and claimed Cornyn was blocking the nomination because Trump had endorsed Cornyn’s primary challenger, Ken Paxton.

On Saturday, August 2nd, Trump criticized Cornyn and Tillis on Truth Social, alleging they were upset over his lack of endorsement. Blanche himself commented on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "It’s unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal. Hopefully, we can resolve this by Tuesday."

Opponents of the fund view it as a slush fund to compensate political allies involved in legal battles, while supporters argue it is intended to compensate individuals they believe were wrongfully targeted by the government.

Sources