President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, is on track to become the next US attorney general after two Republican senators dropped their opposition to his nomination.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Blanche’s nomination on Tuesday, August 4th, 2026, following a delay last week. Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had previously withheld support, seeking assurances from the Department of Justice and the White House regarding Trump’s settlement agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

A key point of contention was the existence of a fund intended to compensate individuals who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department. Blanche has repeatedly stated that the Justice Department is scrapping plans for this fund, which had sparked bipartisan outcry due to concerns that violent rioters involved in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack could be eligible for payments.

Blanche’s written order to end the fund was issued late Sunday after several days of negotiations with the Republican senators, who will leave Capitol Hill when their terms expire in January. In a joint statement, Cornyn and Tillis expressed gratitude to Blanche and his staff for their cooperation and indicated their anticipation of advancing his nomination through the Senate Judiciary Committee soon.

Meanwhile, in related political developments, progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a 41-year-old former public health official, has been leading in recent polls against his moderate rival, US Representative Haley Stevens, who flipped a red seat to win her congressional position.

Sources