Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina dismissed President Donald Trump's threat to withdraw Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's nomination, insisting the administration must first honor what he described as an earlier commitment to secure his vote.
Trump publicly criticized Tillis and Senator John Cornyn of Texas for blocking Blanche's confirmation, threatening to pull the nomination until both Republicans leave office next year. Tillis is retiring, while Cornyn lost his primary bid for reelection.
Tillis argued the nomination standoff cannot be resolved unless the administration fulfills what he understood to be a binding agreement. The senator has withheld support for Blanche pending two specific conditions.
Those conditions include the permanent elimination of a nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund and a rewrite of the audit immunity language in the settlement agreement. Negotiations over these demands remain active.
Tillis emphasized that Blanche himself is not responsible for the impasse, stating he believes the nominee was forthright during the confirmation process. The senator directed blame toward an unidentified member of Trump's advisory team.
According to Tillis, one of the president's advisors involved in the agreement is the source of the problem and needs to take ownership of the situation.
The senator also noted there is no guarantee the Senate would be more receptive to Blanche next year, pointing out that Republicans have more seats at risk than Democrats in the upcoming cycle.
Even if Trump withdraws the nomination, Blanche could remain as acting attorney general for months under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which permits acting officials to serve for 210 days. Withdrawing a pending nomination resets that clock.
Despite the public pressure, Tillis confirmed that negotiations with the administration are continuing and characterized his position as "not a no" on Blanche's confirmation.
