As a key nomination flounders, Politico reported that the Trump administration has resorted to groveling for help from some of the president’s biggest GOP enemies.
President Donald Trump is attempting to get Todd Blanche, his one-time personal attorney and the acting attorney general, confirmed by the Senate as the proper attorney general, but has so far encountered significant resistance. Concerns remain, even among Republicans, that Blanche is committed to going through Trump’s contentious “slush fund” plan, and about how much he would actually keep the Justice Department independent from the White House. The latter worry was far from assuaged when, during a recent hearing, Blanche said, “I’m his lawyer,” when pressed about his connections to Trump.
Now, Politico reported on Tuesday that the administration is attempting to start communications with two of Trump’s most bitter GOP rivals, Sens. Thom Tillis and John Cornyn, in order to get them on board with confirming Blanche. Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, is retiring at the end of his current term and has been an outspoken Republican critic of Trump and his second-term appointees. Cornyn, a Texas Republican, was among the GOP lawmakers whose reelection bids were squashed by Trump endorsing primary challengers, making him even more strident in his opposition to the president with the time he has left.
“The Trump administration is engaging directly with Tillis and Cornyn’s aides as the North Carolina and Texas lawmakers continue to withhold firm commitments to voting to confirm attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in the Judiciary Committee — where a single ‘no’ vote on the GOP side of the aisle could tank his prospects,” Politico detailed. “Tillis and Cornyn both confirmed the back-and-forth in interviews on Capitol Hill Monday evening, and a White House official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, also said in a statement that ‘the Administration continues to have active conversations with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.’ It shows how the balance of power, at least in this high-stakes confirmation battle, has shifted for the two outgoing lawmakers — and how Cornyn and Tillis both know it.”
“I know my staff have been in touch, almost, probably daily,” Tillis said, referring to communications between his office and the DOJ. “So they are acting. I mean, they’re following up in good faith.”
When pressed about potentially getting Blanche to agree to certain concessions, particularly as it pertains to the “slush fund” settlement, Cornyn said, “Well, does he want to get confirmed or not?” The senator also confirmed that he is negotiating with the administration over the settlement’s provision that would shield Trump and his family from IRS audits in the future.
“Those are the issues we’re continuing to discuss with the administration to see whether we can get a modification of the settlement agreement,” Cornyn said.