On Saturday, August 1st, 2026, former President Donald Trump criticized Republican Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas for opposing his nomination of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to a permanent position. Trump suggested he might keep Blanche in the acting role and focus on passing the Anti-Weaponization Bill instead.

The Anti-Weaponization Bill is proposed legislation intended to establish a congressionally authorized compensation program for alleged victims of political "weaponization," replacing the controversial Justice Department-created Anti-Weaponization Fund. This fund was initially formed through a settlement Blanche reached with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Treasury Department to create a $1.8 billion fund to compensate alleged victims of political persecution. However, amid criticism that the executive branch lacked authority to create such a program without congressional approval, the Justice Department later announced it would not move forward with the fund, effectively shelving it.

Trump accused Senators Cornyn and Tillis, both upset over his refusal to endorse them, of blocking Blanche's confirmation despite Blanche being "one of the most respected professionals" in the country. Trump stated on Truth Social that if they do not approve Blanche, he will keep him as Acting Attorney General and push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill passed, which he claims will help those mistreated by the Biden administration.

Both Cornyn and Tillis have indicated they want the formal demise of the Anti-Weaponization Fund documented before supporting Blanche's confirmation. Cornyn questioned Blanche about the fund during his mid-July confirmation hearing. Tillis, who announced in 2025 he would not seek re-election shortly after Trump threatened to back a primary challenger, criticized the fund as a "payout pot for punks" in a response to Trump on X.

Cornyn, a senator since 2002, lost his GOP primary to Trump-backed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the May 26 contest by nearly 400,000 votes.

Notable Quotes

  • "I think I am prepared to vote no, but I do think I owe it to my constituents and to Mr. Blanche to try to negotiate in good faith," said Cornyn.
  • "And that’s what we’ve been doing. And so we’ll see where things are this morning and see where we go from here," a source said.
  • "No, the settlement fund is just not moving forward," a Justice Department official stated.

Background

Thom Tillis appeared during a Senate Finance Committee hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 30, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

Sources