Trump’s Nominee Meets An Unexpected Roadblock

A retiring Republican senator is holding up President Trump’s choice for attorney general over demands that reach far beyond simple law-and-order concerns.

Story Snapshot

Senator Thom Tillis is blocking Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination in the Judiciary Committee.
Tillis insists Blanche meet with Jeffrey Epstein survivors before he will let the nomination advance.
He also wants Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund and a related IRS settlement formally shut down.
Tillis has tied his vote to Blanche’s stance on January 6 and on Justice Department independence.

Tillis Becomes Key Roadblock For Trump’s Attorney General Pick

President Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, now faces a serious hurdle inside his own party. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee who is retiring at the end of his term, says he is not prepared to vote yes on Blanche’s nomination. With the committee closely divided, Blanche likely cannot move to a full Senate vote without Tillis’ support, giving the senator major leverage over the process.

Senator Tillis has laid out several conditions before he will back Blanche. He has long said he will oppose any attorney general nominee who appears to excuse the violence carried out by rioters at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Tillis told reporters that his “key criterion” is a clear, firm stance on January 6 and that anyone who suggested the people who beat up police officers were “righteous” would have “no chance” of getting his vote.

Demands On January 6 And The Anti-Weaponization Fund

In interviews and hearings, Tillis has warned he will vote against Blanche if he senses “even a whiff of a lack of independence” on January 6 or on other hot-button cases. At the same time, he has focused heavily on a nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund tied to an Internal Revenue Service settlement involving President Trump and his allies. Tillis wants the Justice Department to formally eliminate this fund and to make sure it can never be brought back, even in the future, and has discussed possible legislation to kill it outright.

Reports say Tillis and Senator John Cornyn of Texas are both pressing Blanche and the Justice Department on this issue. They have raised concerns that the fund, which was framed as compensation for alleged victims of government “weaponization,” could instead shield Trump and his family from future tax investigations while paying out money to political allies. Tillis has argued that taking this “off the table” would “immensely” improve Blanche’s chances of clearing the Judiciary Committee and winning final confirmation on the Senate floor.

Epstein Survivors Meeting Becomes A New Condition

Tillis has added another surprising requirement: a face-to-face meeting between Blanche and survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. During Blanche’s confirmation hearings, Tillis said he would not vote to advance the nomination unless Blanche meets with Epstein’s victims and their lawyers, noting that the women had been seeking a meeting for months without success. He described this as “a very important part of getting to yes” and said he “expects that meeting to occur” before he will support moving Blanche out of committee.

This demand followed questions about how the Justice Department handled millions of files connected to Epstein’s sex-trafficking investigation. Tillis appeared concerned that survivors were still struggling for access and answers from federal officials. While he has stressed that he has a “positive predisposition” toward Blanche, Tillis has repeated that his vote depends on Blanche following through and personally hearing from the victims before he will even consider a yes.

Retiring Republican Uses Confirmation Leverage As Final Test

Tillis’ stance fits a wider pattern in modern confirmation fights, where a small number of swing senators use committee positions to demand specific actions before allowing a vote. He has a history of slowing or blocking nominees, including a past Trump nominee for Federal Reserve chairman, and is known for pressing hard on issues tied to government “weaponization” and legal accountability. Now, near the end of his Senate career, he is combining concerns over January 6, Justice Department independence, the anti-weaponization fund, and Epstein survivors into one high-stakes bargaining package.

BS BRIEFING The Senate Judiciary Committee abruptly postponed a scheduled vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination for Attorney General after Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina refused to support advancing the nomination without additional written…

— Common Sense with Chad Law (@chadparkerlaw) July 30, 2026

The White House and Justice Department have reportedly been working to address Tillis’ demands and secure his vote. Blanche has met with Tillis to discuss his vision for the department, and Tillis has praised the chance to talk through the “important work that lies ahead.” But as of the most recent reporting, Tillis and Cornyn still “do not have everything they need” from Blanche, and both appear comfortable delaying the committee vote, even if it disrupts plans to confirm Blanche before the August recess.