Two outgoing Republican senators who praised and voted for Merrick Garland's confirmation as attorney general are now refusing to confirm Todd Blanche, drawing a fierce backlash from conservative commentators who call the double standard indefensible.
President Trump took to TRUTH Social on Thursday to publicly rebuke Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, threatening to temporarily withdraw Blanche's nomination and resubmit it after both senators leave office in January. Blanche, who currently serves as acting attorney general, would remain in that role regardless, Trump said.
The confrontation has stalled what should have been a straightforward confirmation for a nominee Trump has championed since tapping Blanche as his permanent AG pick. The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a scheduled vote on Blanche's nomination, and with the August recess approaching, the path to confirmation before the break is narrowing fast.
What makes the standoff so galling to the right is the contrast. Both Cornyn and Tillis voted to confirm Garland, the same attorney general whose Justice Department twice indicted Trump, prosecuted pro-life activists under a rarely used federal statute, and opened investigations into traditional Catholics as potential violent extremists. Conservative critics argue those actions were politically motivated. Yet the two senators now refuse to extend the same courtesy to a Republican president's nominee.
During Garland's confirmation process, Cornyn offered an unqualified endorsement. Fox News Digital reported his remarks at the time:
"This morning I had a very good conversation with judge Merrick Garland, who President Biden has nominated for attorney general. Judge Garland's extensive legal experience makes him well-suited to lead the Department of Justice, and I appreciated his commitment to keep politics out of the Justice Department."
Tillis was equally effusive. He said Garland "has an outstanding record serving our country and has a deep understanding of the law," praised his reputation for "bipartisanship," and added that he had "no doubt he will serve with integrity" and "will respect the constitutional rights and liberties of all Americans."
Neither senator has offered a comparably detailed public explanation for opposing Blanche. Tillis warned Blanche earlier this month not to make the same "mistakes that [the Biden administration] did", a vague admonition that did not specify which mistakes he meant or how Blanche's conduct warranted the comparison.
The real sticking point, according to multiple reports, centers on a Trump-IRS settlement that established what critics and supporters alike have called an "anti-weaponization" fund. The New York Post reported that Cornyn and Tillis are demanding written assurances from the Justice Department regarding a $1.776 billion fund tied to that settlement before they will vote to confirm Blanche. Just one Republican "no" vote on the Judiciary Committee would effectively derail the nomination.
Cornyn told reporters he thought negotiations were close to resolution before running into new resistance. He blamed "higher-ups" at the White House for complicating the talks.
In remarks captured by the Washington Examiner, Cornyn described the breakdown bluntly:
"I thought we were pretty close to landing the plane last night, but this morning, there's been some more complications... apparently, he's getting some pushback from higher-ups at the White House."
He added a warning that left little room for compromise:
"I don't know whether they think they can wait us out or we'll cave, but I assure you, we won't."
Cornyn also said his side had sent the administration "a red-line strikeout of what we need, and they just need to make a decision." Fox News Digital reached out to both senators' offices for comment and did not hear back before publication.
The broader confirmation calendar adds pressure. With the Senate racing to process Trump nominees before the August break, the postponed Blanche vote means his confirmation could slip well into the fall, or later, if Trump follows through on his threat to pull the nomination and resubmit after both senators depart.
Trump's TRUTH Social post left no ambiguity about where he stands. He praised Blanche and dismissed the two holdouts as politically irrelevant:
"Todd Blanche is a STAR, and everyone knows it! He has the potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time. However, John Cornyn, of Texas, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, both of whom I refused to Endorse, and whose political careers have been ended by my action, are refusing to vote for this Great Nominee, who will remain, in any event, as Acting."
Both senators are, in fact, on their way out. Cornyn lost his Republican primary in a runoff to former Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who had Trump's endorsement. Breitbart's Matthew Boyle noted the margin was lopsided.
"Pretty incredible that John Cornyn is proving us exactly correct about him after he lost his primary by close to 30 points. Everything we said about him is being proven 1000 percent correct."
Tillis, meanwhile, announced last year that he would not seek a third term when his seat comes up in 2026. Neither senator faces voters again, a fact that has only sharpened the criticism from the right.
Newsmax reported that Trump said he had "no objection" to temporarily pulling Blanche's name, framing the move as a tactical delay rather than a retreat. Cornyn, for his part, demanded more than verbal reassurances from the Justice Department, telling reporters: "We don't need well-wishes or impressions. We need concrete confirmation of what he testified to."
Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project, tied the two senators' opposition directly to the proposed anti-weaponization fund, and to their earlier support for Garland:
"Both Tillis and Cornyn voted to confirm Garland and then sat back idly as a weaponized DOJ/FBI destroyed lives for purely partisan reasons. The Anti-Weaponization Fund would begin to right the wrongs and that is why they oppose Todd Blanche. Pitiful."
Columnist Mark Davis framed the contrast even more sharply: "As John Cornyn and Thom Tillis high-five each other in their attempt to block Trump's AG pick Todd Blanche, never forget that they both voted to confirm Merrick Garland."
Commentator Julie Kelly posted video of a 2021 speech in which Cornyn gave what she described as "a full throated endorsement of Merrick Garland so he could 'depoliticize' the DOJ." A popular commentary account with nearly three million followers shared the same clip, writing: "This is exactly why Texas republicans fired [Cornyn]. He votes to approve Garland but refuses to support Todd Blanche."
The Garland record is central to the outrage. Under his leadership, the Justice Department twice indicted a sitting president's chief political rival, brought charges against pro-life demonstrators under a rarely invoked federal statute, and launched an inquiry that treated traditional Catholic churchgoers as potential violent extremists. Cornyn and Tillis voted to put Garland in that chair. Now they are using their final months in office to block the man Trump chose to lead the department in a different direction.
Blanche's confirmation has also faced separate complications. His role in reviewing the Epstein files has drawn scrutiny, and the broader confirmation dynamics surrounding his nomination have given both allies and opponents additional leverage.
For now, Blanche remains acting attorney general, and Trump has made clear he is not backing down from the pick. The question is whether two lame-duck senators, who showed no such resistance when a Democratic president nominated an AG, will spend their remaining months in office obstructing a Republican one.
Voters in Texas already weighed in on Cornyn. North Carolina will not get the chance with Tillis. But the conservative base is keeping score, and the double standard is not a close call.
