Overview
- The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a planned vote after GOP Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis refused to advance Blanche unless the Justice Department provides written assurances about the settlement, a move reported late Wednesday night by multiple outlets.
- Cornyn and Tillis want the so‑called anti‑weaponization fund formally killed on paper and the settlement’s broad tax‑audit protections for the president and his associates narrowed before they will support the nomination.
- President Trump replied on Truth Social that he could temporarily withdraw Blanche’s nomination and refile it after the holdout senators leave office, while Blanche remains the acting attorney general throughout the dispute.
- Legal and calendar limits make a swift resolution unlikely because the Federal Vacancies Reform Act governs acting officials and the Senate is nearing its five‑week August recess, so final Senate action may not occur until September or later.
- Coverage divides track political lines: conservative outlets emphasize Trump’s pushback and Blanche’s acting role, while other outlets stress the settlement’s controversial terms, judge critiques, and survivors’ complaints about Blanche’s conduct in private meetings.