How A Cancelled Meeting Throws Wrench Into Trump AG Nominee’s Confirmation

A cancelled meeting between Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche might slow his confirmation process.

Cornyn and Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis demanded that the Department of Justice (DOJ) formally end the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund and rewrite language in an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) settlement that currently restricts Trump and his family from tax audits. Blanche’s scheduled meeting with Cornyn was abruptly called off Wednesday, endangering Cornyn’s support for advancing Blanche’s nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Cornyn said Blanche had not sufficiently met his demands and repeatedly requested written proposals from the DOJ on these matters.

“The meeting with Todd Blanche is off. We made clear from the outset that we expected some written proposals to modify the release that was signed in the tax dispute with President Trump and his organization,” Cornyn told reporters Wednesday. “Senator Grassley tells me that we need to know by 4 o’clock this afternoon whether the markup is still on, so we still got a little time, and hopefully they now recognize the seriousness of this and will be responsive. We need to conform the actual document to what Todd Blanche testified under oath as the President’s Acting Attorney General.”

“We’ve had two meetings scheduled that have now been canceled because they have not been responsive in providing those written documents,” Cornyn continued.

The DOJ told the Daily Caller News Foundation that a written proposal was sent to Cornyn’s office.

“The DOJ provided a written proposal to Senator Cornyn’s staff yesterday following ongoing discussion with both the Committee and the Senator’s office. We look forward to further discussion around any outstanding concerns,” a DOJ official said.

Cornyn stated he would not support Blanche’s nomination without a resolution.

A White House spokesperson praised Blanche’s record as acting attorney general.

“Todd Blanche has done an excellent job as acting Attorney General and will continue doing so as Attorney General. Todd Blanche is an American patriot who fearlessly fought on behalf of President Trump against the Democrats’ illegal and unprecedented lawfare campaign,” spokesperson Abigail Jackson told the DCNF. “The President’s entire team at the Department of Justice is doing a great job advocating for sanity, law and order, and policies that keep Americans safe.”

Cornyn said Tuesday there was “no deal” on the Blanche nomination. He stated Monday that the DOJ had not addressed his concerns with the proper documentation.

“Fake news alert: there is no ‘deal’ on Blanche nom. They know what they have to do,” Cornyn said on X.

“The key there is exactly what I’ve said. That this agreement, the 1776 fund, needs to go away, and the language with respect to audits needs to be very tightly tailored,” Tillis said. “It doesn’t include anybody but the parties of the agreement, and it can only be retroactive. You do that, and I’m prepared to support.”

Tillis demanded that Blanche meet with alleged victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in exchange for his support. Blanche complied with the demand and met with several of the alleged victims at DOJ headquarters, which appeared to satisfy Tillis.

The Trump administration said it engaged directly with aides for Cornyn and Tillis about Blanche’s nomination, as a single “no” vote from a Republican could tank his confirmation, according to Politico. The late Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s passing left the Judiciary Committee with a narrower Republican majority, meaning Blanche would need Cornyn and Tillis’ support to move forward.

The committee scheduled a vote on Blanche’s nomination for Thursday, though it is unclear whether it will take place as of this writing. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said he heard Tillis make “favorable comments” about Blanche, though he did not offer any remarks about Cornyn’s position, Politico reported.

Cornyn lost his primary in May after Trump endorsed Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton one week before the runoff. Tillis announced in June 2025 that he would not seek reelection after Trump threatened to back a primary challenger over the senator’s vote against the One Big, Beautiful Bill.

Trump accused Cornyn of being “very disloyal,” arguing the senator did not support him during difficult moments and did not fight hard enough to pass the Safeguard America Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.