An outgoing Republican lawmaker anticipated that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's confirmation hearing would be explosive, according to reports on Tuesday.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), a foe of President Donald Trump who was defeated in his reelection bid for the Senate against the president's endorsed candidate, told reporters that Blanche would face a challenging fight to take the permanent top law-enforcement job.
In a post on X, Punchbowl News Senior Congressional Reporter Andrew Desiderio described what Cornyn was predicting.
"Sen. Cornyn told reporters that the weaponization fund 'was a terrible idea,' adding that if it’s housed within the executive branch, 'they can then favor ... certain people and not others,'" Desiderio wrote.
Cornyn suggested that the slush fund was expected to come up again.
"When asked if it’s a problem for him that Blanche was involved in creating & defending the fund, Cornyn says 'we’re gonna talk about that,'" Desiderio added.
The longtime Republican senator also said Blanche, who is Trump's former personal lawyer, could drop more revelations in the hearing before lawmakers.
"Cornyn said he has no 'red lines' for Blanche’s confirmation as AG, 'but we’re gonna have an interesting conversation that I’m sure will give you a lot of material.'"
Sen. Cornyn told reporters that the weaponization fund “was a terrible idea,” adding that if it’s housed within the executive branch, “they can then favor their — certain people and not others.”
When asked if it’s a problem for him that Blanche was involved in creating &…
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) June 9, 2026
