Tillis Vows to Block Blanche Confirmation After Trump Revives Anti-Weaponization Fund
Key Takeaways
- •Senator Thom Tillis announced he will oppose Todd Blanche's confirmation after President Trump reversed his position on the anti-weaponization fund within a single day.
- •Blanche cannot afford to lose any Republican votes on the Judiciary Committee, where all Democrats are expected to oppose him, and a tie would stall the nomination.
- •Blanche has repeatedly refused senators' requests to provide written assurance that the controversial $1.776 billion fund has been eliminated.
- •Tillis had conditioned his support on Blanche meeting with Epstein survivors, but those survivors reported the meeting did not go well.
- •Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley postponed the confirmation vote to allow additional time to secure the necessary support.
Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) has dealt a potentially decisive blow to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's Senate confirmation, announcing Saturday that he will not vote to approve the nomination.
In a post on X Saturday morning, Tillis cited President Donald Trump's Truth Social post declaring that the controversial anti-weaponization fund was not, in fact, dead — a direct contradiction of earlier assurances.
"Despite comments as late as yesterday that the fund is dead, President Trump clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks," Tillis wrote. "It's unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal."
Tillis added: "Hopefully, we can resolve this by Tuesday."
Blanche's confirmation is on a knife's edge. Every Democrat on the GOP-led Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote against him, meaning the nominee cannot afford to lose even a single Republican vote on the panel. A tied committee vote would stall the nomination from reaching the Senate floor without further procedural maneuvering. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has also publicly expressed doubt about whether he will support Blanche.
Tillis had demanded that Blanche meet with Epstein survivors as a condition for securing his vote, but according to the survivors, the meeting did not go well.
The confirmation vote, originally scheduled for earlier this week, was postponed. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said in a statement that the delay was intended to allow time to shore up the necessary votes.
At the center of the standoff is the $1.776 anti-weaponization fund, which critics fear could be used to pay Trump allies and January 6 rioters. The fund is tied to broader claims that the Justice Department was weaponized against political opponents during prior administrations — a central theme of Trump's political messaging. Senators have repeatedly asked Blanche to put in writing his pledge that the fund has been eliminated, but Blanche has refused.
Trump told reporters at a Friday press briefing that the fund was "dead." However, in a Saturday morning Truth Social post, he reversed course, writing that he would "push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill...PASSED."
In response, Tillis dismissed the fund as "bogus."