Senate Republicans who previously opposed President Donald Trump's attorney general nominee have shifted their stance after reportedly receiving concessions — but critics say the deal is less substantive than it appears.

Trump nominated Todd Blanche, his former personal attorney and current acting attorney general, to assume the role permanently. As the nation's top law enforcement official, the attorney general sets enforcement priorities across the Department of Justice, giving the nominee broad discretion over how federal legal resources are deployed. In recent weeks, however, the nomination hit significant resistance in the Senate. Key Republican senators, including Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas — both regarded as Trump adversaries — demanded that Blanche take stronger action to dismantle the president's "anti-weaponization" slush fund and an IRS audit immunity arrangement, positions he was initially reluctant to embrace.

As of Sunday evening, Blanche issued an order addressing those demands, securing the approval of both Tillis and Cornyn to advance his nomination out of the Senate committee, teeing up a confirmation vote before the full Senate.

"Senator Cornyn has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice, which will be issuing a formal order permanently terminating the anti-weaponization fund and making clear in a binding written document that the scope of the audit settlement is limited to only the plaintiffs, including the President, and the IRS," Cornyn's office said in a statement.

However, the actual content of the order may not match its characterization, according to Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, writing in The New Republic. Houghtaling argued that Blanche's order leaves open the possibility for the contested settlement clauses to be reinstated, describing it as a "sneaky ploy" to salvage his nomination.

"On its face, Blanche's note appeared to terminate the fund, specifying that the order was 'rescinded and shall have no force or effect,'" Houghtaling wrote. "However, journalists were quick to comment that the language employed in the rest of Blanche's memo not only suggested that the honeypot fund would be preserved in some form but also failed to terminate Trump's underlying IRS immunity arrangement. But vague gestures at accountability were apparently all Cornyn needed to get in line."

The concept of the fund had drawn widespread backlash in preceding weeks, including numerous lawsuits and opposition from Republican lawmakers who argued it had obstructed party efforts to pass a reconciliation bill. Trump, however, has continued to voice support for the supposedly defunct fund.

"The idea of the fund fell apart following weeks of backlash, numerous lawsuits, and opposition from even Republican lawmakers, who felt the issue had gummed up party efforts to pass a reconciliation bill," Houghtaling wrote. "But Trump has refused to let the topic go, repeatedly affirming his support for the supposedly defunct fund. Blanche's efforts to salvage the fund should be viewed as yet more evidence that the fund is not as dead as officials have publicly claimed."

Houghtaling also cited analysis from legal journalist Adam Klasfeld, who posted on X:

"When this kabuki standoff began, Cornyn wanted Blanche to modify the purported settlement agreement. This isn't that: Blanche rescinded a separate OAG directive. Cornyn knows the difference — and apparently, simply blinked. Let's be clear: It's more certain that Trump is still pursuing bounties for rioters today than when this started. Trump is openly stating that's the goal, taking legal action to get there and refusing to do the one thing that would kill it."