Trump Threatens to Keep Blanche as Acting Attorney General Amid Senate Standoff
Trump vows to retain Todd Blanche as Acting Attorney General and revive an Anti-Weaponization Bill if Senators Cornyn and Tillis block the nomination.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump threatened to keep Todd Blanche as Acting Attorney General and revive an anti-weaponization measure if two Republican senators block Blanche’s confirmation to lead the Justice Department.
Trump tied the standoff to Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, saying both were upset that he declined to endorse them. He framed the confirmation fight as a test of whether his Justice Department pick would advance. A bill targeting what he called the weaponization of federal power would return to the table if the nomination fails, he warned.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “If Senators Cornyn and Tillis, both upset because I wouldn’t Endorse them (they lost, and quit, respectively!), aren’t going to approve Todd Blanche, one of the most respected professionals, according to everybody, in the Country, to be the United States Attorney General, then I will keep Todd as Acting A.G., and push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill, which takes care of those who have been so badly treated by the Crooked Joe Biden (and Obuma!) Administration (I get nothing, although I was treated horribly!), PASSED. Todd Blanche was a voice of reason! It will immediately be back on the table, and I will get it done. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT” on August 1, 2026 at 7:32 AM ET.
This is the first message released by Trump today. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.
The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 11 of his 418 posts over the last 30 days focused on Government Reform.
The stakes fall on the Justice Department’s leadership and on the balance of power between the White House and the Senate. Confirmation of an attorney general requires a simple majority vote in the Senate, according to senate.gov. A blocked nomination would leave Blanche running the department in an acting capacity. That status carries legal limits on tenure under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, according to congress.gov.
Todd Blanche serves as Deputy Attorney General, the second-ranking official at the Justice Department, according to justice.gov. He previously represented Trump in criminal proceedings before joining the administration. Keeping him as Acting Attorney General would sidestep a Senate vote while leaving the appointment on uncertain legal footing.
John Cornyn, a Texas Republican first elected to the Senate in 2002, and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican elected in 2014, both sit on the chamber that must approve senior Justice Department nominees, according to senate.gov. The friction Trump described centers on endorsements in their own political futures rather than on Blanche’s record.
The average reader would feel the effect through the Justice Department’s direction on federal law enforcement priorities, from prosecutions to civil rights enforcement. An attorney general sets policy that touches consumer fraud cases, antitrust reviews, and criminal charging decisions across the country.
This has happened before. Presidents have installed acting attorneys general to lead the department during confirmation disputes, and courts have reviewed the legality of those arrangements. The Federal Vacancies Reform Act, enacted in 1998, governs how long an acting official may serve, according to congress.gov.
The next decision rests with the Senate, which must schedule a confirmation vote on Blanche. A date for that vote has not been announced.
Disputes over control of the Justice Department are not new to American politics. In 1973, President Richard Nixon tried to fire the special prosecutor investigating Watergate, which triggered the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and his deputy on October 20, in an episode known as the Saturday Night Massacre, according to britannica.com. The turmoil deepened the crisis that led to Nixon’s resignation the following August.
Assigned topic: Government Reform.
This is Trump’s 1st Truth Social post today, out of 1 total today.
On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.
Trump’s last post was 9 hours ago.
This post is not part of a thread.
NewsFindr Chart Maker
Photo by Zenger real-time database of all Truth Social posts.
Zenger analysis
Photo by Zenger analysis