Republican Senator’s Fierce Critique Targets Trump’s Choice for Attorney General

In a tense confrontation, Senator John Cornyn, once a close associate of former President Donald Trump, grilled Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche during his confirmation hearing. The heated debate centered around the President’s contentious political ‘slush fund,’ a topic that threatens Blanche’s path to confirmation.

The controversy escalated after Trump nominated Blanche, his former personal lawyer, to head the Department of Justice. This decision followed the dismissal of Pam Bondi, which came in the wake of damaging revelations from the Jeffrey Epstein case files.

At the heart of the hearing’s explosive exchanges was the now-defunct $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund. Criticized across party lines as ‘corrupt,’ this initiative aimed to counteract perceived ‘lawfare’ by the Justice Department against prior administrations, but ultimately faced severe opposition from both Democrats and Republicans.

This fund intended to compensate individuals regarded as victims of political legal battles, including participants in the January 6 Capitol riot and other Trump allies. Under intense scrutiny, the Department of Justice abandoned the proposal in anticipation of its potentially damaging repercussions.

Cornyn stands among two Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voicing doubts about Blanche’s appointment. His skepticism adds a layer of uncertainty to the confirmation process, casting doubt over Blanche’s potential ascent to the top DOJ position.

The Senator has been at odds with the President for months following Trump’s decision to endorse his opponent, MAGA warrior Ken Paxton, in the Texas Senate primary race this year. Cornyn ultimately lost his reelection bid. 

The outgoing Texas Senator is in an especially powerful position following the sudden death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, as even one ‘no’ vote on the panel could scuttle Blanche’s confirmation hopes. 

‘It is a moot issue, meaning there is no weaponization fund,’ Blanche told Cornyn in response to his questioning about the so-called ‘slush fund.’

‘The weaponization fund is dead. It’s not moving forward.’

That did little to assuage Cornyn’s concerns, who noted that the administration has not provided a written statement saying as much; and said Trump has not agreed in writing not to move forward with the fund – a point to which Blanche ultimately agreed.

The fund is ‘just not moving forward,’ Blanche said. ‘There’s no modification,’ he said. ‘It just never started.’

Again, Cornyn seemed unconvinced. 

‘Just to be clear, the president of the United States, who was a plaintiff in this lawsuit, has not agreed in writing to delete the weaponization fund,’ Cornyn asked Blanche, somewhat tersely.

‘And there is no guarantee that he, or one of the other plaintiffs, might raise that issue by way of a lawsuit, a recent contract lawsuit in the future,’ he said. 

The exchange comes as Blanche faces his own Texas-sized obstacles to confirmation. This is due in no small part to Cornyn, an outgoing Texas lawmaker who has not yet committed publicly to supporting Blanche.

Cornyn revisited the issue shortly before the end of his time. This pertains to ‘lawfare or weaponization,’ he said. ‘Those aren’t legal terms of art, are they?

‘I think they are,’ Blanche responded.

‘Have they been defined in any case or any statute?’ Cornyn pressed.

‘No,’ Blanche responded. 

‘So they’re not a legal term of art,’ Cornyn clarified. ‘We don’t know what that covers.’

Cornyn told reporters previously he would hold out on supporting Blanche until after he heard from him directly on several issues he said he had concerns with – including the slush fund, and Trump’s IRS lawsuit.

Cornyn is not the only senator who expressed serious concerns about the fund during Wednesday’s hearing, and their exchange is unlikely to be the last time Blanche will be confronted with the issue before the chamber vote is expected towards the end of July.

Already, Blanche’s path to confirmation is expected to be less smooth than that of his predecessor, Pam Bondi. 

That’s in part due to the timing of his nomination: Unlike Bondi, who served from early 2025 through early April, Blanche will be forced to answer for nearly two years of actions the Justice Department has taken during Trump’s second presidential term, including some of its most contentious lawsuits, court cases, and personnel decisions. 

Blanche also served as Trump’s personal lawyer after his first presidential term— a role that was put on stark display during one back-and-forth with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island.

‘Are you and president Trump friends?’ Whitehouse asked Blanche.

‘I’m his lawyer,’ Blanche said, before correcting himself. ‘I was his lawyer,’ Blanche added to quickly clarify.