President Donald Trump conceded Thursday he may temporarily withdraw Todd Blanche's attorney general nomination rather than capitulate to demands from two departing Republican senators.
The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote Wednesday after Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) signaled they would block confirmation.
Trump praised Blanche on Truth Social while threatening to resubmit the nomination after the senators leave office.
The core dispute involves a Department of Justice-IRS settlement granting Trump and his family tax audit immunity and creating a $1.8 billion "weaponization fund" later abandoned.
"Todd Blanche is a STAR," Trump began.
"I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office," he added.
"All I want them to do is to confirm what he said in his sworn testimony before the Judiciary Committee, with regard not only to the weaponization fund, but also who is protected from future audits and what agencies of the federal government are bound by the release," Cornyn said, CBS News reported.
Cornyn also told reporters talks had been "very constructive" Tuesday but shifted by Thursday, suggesting presidential intervention, according to NBC News reporter Laura Weiss.
The DOJ has refused to cooperate with Cornyn's requests, according to The Hill, leaving no scheduled meetings between senators and the White House or Justice Department.
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