President Donald Trump expressed surprise on Thursday after a Republican revolt late Wednesday night blocked and delayed the confirmation of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Republican senators leading the opposition cited the failure of Blanche and the White House to formally terminate an anti-weaponization fund that critics have labeled a "slush fund" for Trump's allies.

Late Wednesday night, the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed its Thursday vote to advance Blanche's nomination after it became clear Republicans lacked sufficient support. GOP Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina withheld their backing. According to MSNOW, the resisting senators have stated they will not permit the confirmation to proceed until the fund is officially eliminated in writing. With the Senate's summer recess approaching and the White House reluctant to kill the fund altogether, the delay could push the vote to September or beyond.

The skepticism surrounding Blanche has centered on a settlement between the IRS and Trump's Department of Justice. MSNOW reported that the agreement created a $1.776 billion fund for individuals who claimed they were targets of weaponization, and it granted Trump, his businesses, his family members, and others immunity from IRS investigations — two provisions that drew bipartisan pushback.

The White House appeared caught off guard by the opposition. Blanche had spent weeks meeting with senators, and earlier Wednesday, Trump suggested the confirmation was all but assured. "All I can say is Todd Blanche is outstanding, and I thought it was pretty routine because he's so good," Trump said. "He just wouldn't find a better person."

Blanche previously served as Trump's personal lawyer, a role that some argue should disqualify him from serving as attorney general due to potential conflicts of interest and questions about whether he would serve Trump or the American public. The attorney general oversees the nation's federal law enforcement apparatus, including the FBI, drug enforcement, and federal prosecutors, making the position one of the most consequential in any administration. During a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, when asked if he was Trump's "friend," Blanche declared, "I'm his lawyer," before correcting himself: "Was his lawyer."

Blanche has also drawn criticism for his handling of concerns raised by Jeffrey Epstein's victims. According to MSNOW, a group of survivors told reporters outside Cornyn's office on Wednesday that Blanche had been "very condescending" when he met with them and even told them to "get to the point."

While Trump may have been surprised by the resistance, MSNOW noted that warning signs had been building in the Senate for weeks. Cornyn and Tillis have repeatedly insisted that the anti-weaponization fund must be declared dead in writing and that the audit immunity provisions must be narrowed.

Other GOP lawmakers have echoed those concerns. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) said earlier in the week, "I have been waiting to see the outcome of the hearing on the anti-weaponization fund and the IRS issues. I've been following closely."

Trump offered his own theory for the Republican defiance, suggesting personal animosity may be at play. "Maybe John Cornyn's upset with me because I didn't endorse him," the president said, referencing his endorsement of Cornyn's recent primary challenger in Texas, Ken Paxton, who ultimately won the election.

Cornyn dismissed that narrative, responding, "I think that's a convenient excuse for not cooperating with the Judiciary Committee's appropriate role in confirmations."