Republican Senator Thom Tillis announced that the White House must keep its promises, pushing back against President Donald Trump's threat to withdraw the nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general. Tillis reiterated that he is demanding the administration permanently eliminate the roughly $2 billion anti-gun fund and rewrite the oversight exemption language in a settlement agreement in order to support the nomination.
Earlier, on his Truth Social platform, Trump accused Tillis and Texas Senator John Cornyn of blocking Blanche's nomination, and threatened to withdraw the nomination until both senators' terms ended. Tillis is set to retire, while Cornyn lost his primary.
Tillis dismissed Trump's threat, saying, 'That's his call.' The senator added, 'The best thing is to take the win, confirm Blanche, and get this deal done.' Tillis said he does not blame Blanche for the impasse, suggesting the problem lies with an adviser on Trump's team. 'This is not Blanche's issue. It's clear Blanche is honest. I believe one of the president's advisers who is part of this deal is the problem, and they need to own it,' he said.
Meanwhile, it is noted that even if Trump were to withdraw the nomination, he could keep Blanche as acting attorney general for months under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. The law allows acting officials to serve for 210 days, and withdrawing the nomination resets that clock. If Trump withdraws the nomination now, Blanche could remain in office until the end of February next year.
Tillis stressed that despite the public threats, negotiations are ongoing and he has not cast a 'no' vote on Blanche. 'Nothing here is as good or bad as it seems, so we keep negotiating,' he added.
