Washington insiders expressed growing optimism on Thursday that Todd Blanche would be confirmed as attorney general, signaling that a standoff between two Republican senators and the Trump administration may be nearing resolution, according to CNN reporters.

Blanche currently serves as acting attorney general and was previously President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, having represented the president during his 2024 criminal proceedings. Before entering private practice, Blanche was a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, a background that supporters have cited as a qualification for leading the Justice Department. His nomination to the permanent post has faced opposition from Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), both of whom have threatened to withhold their support. The two Republicans, who serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee with jurisdiction over the attorney general nomination, have raised concerns over the president's IRS settlement and anti-weaponization fund.

President Trump had previously signaled he might withdraw Blanche's nomination and instead wait until Cornyn and Tillis were no longer in office, a move that would have significantly delayed filling the position on a permanent basis while leaving the Justice Department under temporary leadership.

However, the dynamic may be shifting. CNN correspondent Katelyn Polantz reported on Thursday that Blanche had met with Cornyn, potentially opening a path toward confirmation.

"Perhaps this AG nomination does have another plot twist ahead?" Polantz wrote in an update shared on CNN's text chains.

CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes echoed Polantz's assessment, citing a source close to the confirmation process.

"I just got off the phone with a source involved in the process who was very optimistic that Blanche gets confirmed — especially after the parties sat down today," Holmes wrote.

The apparent softening of opposition comes amid broader tensions within the Republican caucus over the administration's policy initiatives. Cornyn and Tillis represent key votes in a narrowly divided Senate, where Republican leadership has sought to maintain party unity on high-profile nominations. A successful confirmation of Blanche would install a close Trump ally at the helm of the Justice Department on a permanent basis, a priority for an administration that has made DOJ reform a central element of its governing agenda.