Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche reached an agreement on Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, with Republican holdouts who had threatened to block his confirmation as the next attorney general.

Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina demanded that the Department of Justice (DOJ) formally terminate a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund and revise language in an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) settlement. The settlement had restricted President Donald Trump and his family from tax audits.

Following a period of uncertainty in Blanche's confirmation process, the DOJ confirmed it accepted the senators' demands in writing. Blanche stated on X that his team had met with committee members and senators over several weeks to address concerns and questions, resulting in an order and update regarding the May IRS settlement. He emphasized the DOJ's appreciation for productive engagement with Congress.

Cornyn's spokesperson, Natalie Yezbick, said the DOJ would issue a formal order permanently ending the anti-weaponization fund and clarify in a binding document that the audit settlement's scope is limited to the plaintiffs, including the President, and the IRS.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley had previously canceled the confirmation vote after Cornyn argued no deal had been reached. Tillis expressed that the 1776 fund must be eliminated and audit language tightly tailored to include only the parties of the agreement retroactively.

Cornyn also remarked on August 1st that the President was mistaken if he believed concerns about the tax lawsuit settlement provisions were limited to him and Tillis. Tillis had announced in June 2025 that he would not seek reelection after Trump threatened to support a primary challenger due to Tillis's vote against the One Big, Beautiful Bill.

This development clears a significant hurdle for Blanche's confirmation as attorney general.

Sources