Friday, July 31, 2026

Trump bails on Blanche to save his own ass

Trump bails on Blanche to save his own ass

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/7/30/800077284/congress/trump-bails-on-blanche-to-save-his-own-ass/ 

Trump bails on Blanche to save his own ass

by Emily Singer
Staff
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Donald Trump walks next to his attorney Todd Blanche, at Manhattan state court in New York, Monday, April 22, 2024.
Todd Blanche, who was President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, is nominated for U.S. attorney general.AP

President Donald Trump is officially turning against his own party.

On Thursday, he went off on a pair of GOP senators, attacking them for refusing to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general unless Trump gives up his corrupt “settlement” with the Internal Revenue Service that would shield him and his family from any audits or prosecutions.

“Todd Blanche is a STAR, and everyone knows it! He has the potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “However, John Cornyn, of Texas, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, both of whom I refused to Endorse, and whose political careers have been ended by my action, are refusing to vote for this Great Nominee, who will remain, in any event, as Acting.”

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, listens to State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, during a campaign event in Lubbock, Texas, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)
GOP Sen. John Cornyn of TexasAP

He then threatened to temporarily withdraw Blanche’s nomination until the end of their terms.

“Remember, both Cornyn and Tillis voted for Merrick Garland, and others, too numerous to mention. I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office,” he added.

The fact that Trump is so willing to give up on Blanche’s confirmation rather than agree to drop his settlement with the IRS shows just how nervous he is of being prosecuted for his and his family’s corruption.

The settlement is, in essence, a preemptive pardon for himself and for “related or affiliated individuals (including, without limitation, family or others filing jointly), or parties including trusts, parent, sister, or related companies, affiliates, and subsidiaries.”

The utterly corrupt deal that Blanche helped Trump orchestrate with the IRS is so bad that even GOP senators are balking at it, with Cornyn and Tillis doubling down on denying Blanche’s nomination until the settlement is dropped.

Of course, Cornyn won’t admit that it’s Trump blocking the way, but come on—who else would it be? 

“If this were just between me and Todd Blanche, we would have worked this out, but, apparently, he’s getting some pushback from higher ups at the White House,” Cornyn told reporters Thursday. “I don’t know who, but it doesn’t need to be this hard.”

But Cornyn did fire back at Trump for suggesting that he and Tillis are the only senators who are uncomfortable with the corrupt IRS settlement.

“POTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis,” Cornyn responded to Trump’s Truth Social post.

Related | Trump’s Texas Senate endorsement is coming back to bite him

As for Trump’s plan to wait out Cornyn and Tillis’ terms to get Blanche confirmed, well, that’s a risky and stupid bet in itself.

Republicans could lose their House majority in the midterms amid growing backlash and frustration with Trump over his boondoggle of a war in Iran that’s spiking gas prices and threatening to take down the global economy. 

Senator Thom Tillis speaks during a panel session at the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)
GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North CarolinaAP

Indeed, Tillis is likely to be replaced by Democratic candidate Roy Cooper, former governor of North Carolina. And Cornyn’s seat is also in danger, as the Trump-backed, scandal-plagued GOP nominee Ken Paxton is unpalatable to many Republican voters. 

“There’s a good chance at least one—if not both—will be replaced by a Democrat instead of a more amenable Republican,” Cook Political Report editor Jessica Taylor wrote on X.

If Democrats take control of the Senate, Blanche will have no chance in hell of being confirmed.

But, of course, Trump doesn’t care about anyone but himself. And a shady immunity deal is definitely more valuable to him than any attorney general.

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  1. Comment by ADReed.

    Ms. Singer, you meant that Republicans could lose their SENATE majority in the fall, not their House majority. Both are likely, of course, but the House has nothing to do with confirming presidential appointees. If Senators Tillis and Cornyn and are replaced by democrats, that will make a difference, but losing the House majority -- which is almost guaranteed -- won't make any difference at all. You really need to fact check and proofread your work!

  2. Comment by zootscoot.

    Trump sees that royals aren't taxed and in fact are given various allowances from taxpayers in perpetuity. Since he believes he is better than a King, by virtue of his cohort treating his as such, he should be given at least that much, The estimated $100 million dollars of taxes and penalties he owes are mere peanuts to pay for his presence. And the additional $500 million that could come from the others in the "settlement" should also be allowed since they are associated with his grandeur.

  3. Comment by JimB9999.

    Blanche is too stupid or too blind to realize that anyone who hitches his wagon to Don TOFU is doomed.

    • Reply by zootscoot.

      ETTD

  4. Comment by necturus.

    [how nervous he is of being prosecuted for his and his family’s corruption.]

    I doubt he's nervous at all. The Supreme Court will hold Trump himself immune for all official acts, and he can pardon his family members. That's assuming the next administration isn't effectively a continuation of the current one under a figurehead successor.

  5. Comment by suzeli.

    This is all for show. Blanche will remain as acting AG indefinitely. That in itself would be unconstitutional, if SCOTUS were "just calling balls and strikes".

  6. Comment by thanxamillion.

    Acting is the same as confirmed. He does all the same nefarious stuff Trump tells him to do.

    I bet he doesn’t get the same pay. Trump likes him some cheap imposters.

  7. Comment by BlueGirlinDixie.

    A convicted felon choosing the top law enforcement officer in the country.

  8. Comment by sgkos.

    Of course. His own ass always comes first.

  9. Comment by sgkos.

    It's always about the orange pediffile first. Not rocket science.

  10. Comment by voidstuff.

    I wouldn't go so far as to say that Trump has "bailed" on the nomination. He's hoping that Republicans can hold the Senate, so he can re-nominate Blanche.

    • Reply by cmon.

      He's planning on hijacking the election, IMHO. Unless the GOP holds on to their majorities, the election will be declared "rigged".

    • Reply by hissing kitty.

      Or he'll find a way to declare elections are in a state of suspension because the scotus hasn't ruled in his favor (and there will be an immediate appeal to further murky the waters).

  11. Comment by notrouble.

    How can that settlement be legal when there was no adverse party in the suit? There should be no case to settle.

  12. Comment by MindMatter.

    Blanche can only keep acting for 210 days, and he is more than halfway there. Except that there are loopholes. One loophole says that while he is in the nomination process, the clock stops. Another loophole says that if Trump withdraws the nomination, then the 210 day clock starts over, which is pretty insane. So he could keep acting until about the end of February.

    But of course, if we take the Senate in November, we don't have to confirm any of the unqualified people Trump names. Trump can just keep naming "acting" crooks. Nonetheless, if we take the Senate, we can make life very difficult for Trump and use the subpoena power to uncover many of these crimes, leaving them all exposed to prosecution in 2029.

    At this point, I don't think Trump really cares. He isn't going to live much longer, and he can keep things tied up in court until he dies. But we can make his life feel like prison.

  13. Comment by Jim McHenry.

    These pathetic suckers who work for and support Trump and remain loyal to a guy who never demonstrates any form of loyalty can't be shocked when he screws them over. So to give them any consideration of sympathy is a waste of time.

  14. Comment by roamer970.

    Trump did the crime (s) before he put in place the get out of jail card to protect himself and his criminal family - (Blanch) now it may be too late. He's not as smart as he thinks he is.

  15. Comment by Ammo Hauler.

    Let's see: Trump admits he destroyed Tillis' and Cornyn's Senate careers - and is so delusional he thinks they have an obligation to vote for his AG pick?

    Democrats must take control of both the Senate and House this fall. Then go on a revenge tour of their own - hearings, investigations and subpoenas til the cows come home. And they have the receipts. And make any Supreme Court changes a living hell for him and his nominees.

    • Reply by Judge Moonbox.

      North Carolina is pretty strong for the Democrats this year. Tillis might have been able to win reelection if Trump hadn't been so demanding, but he's out now. As for Texas, a Paxton win is less certain than Cornyn would have been. If Trump loses those two Senate seats, it will be on account of his arrogance. So what will be Blanche's chances then?

    • Reply by thanxamillion.

      Living hell? Just a simple Hell No!

  16. Comment by jds1978.

    Merrick Garland was the best thing to happen to Trump but he's too stupid to understand that.

  17. Comment by woodstocknative.

    There must be a whole lot of tax cheating going on in the Trump family!

    • Reply by roamer970.

      You're kidding right? It has been his (and his families) MO for years.

    • Reply by jadowney.

      Ya' think

    • Reply by mksaelens.

      Try decades, not just years.

  18. Comment by Mark Wegman.

    Trump has supplied a debate question for all Senatorial debates this season. "Will you vote to confirm any attorney general who would approve a deal so none of Trump's families taxes can be audited". I'm sure Susan Collins would be very concerned, Ken Paxton of course would be all in. But I don't think any of their answers will go over well.

  19. Comment by Therapy.

    Sorry, I'm at the point where I certainly hope the next Democratic potus just ignores any illegitimate rump pardons.

  20. Comment by Angela Marx.

    That closer, it was the entire piece, incapsulated in just a few impactful words...

    <quote>

    But, of course, Trump doesn’t care about anyone but himself. And a shady immunity deal is definitely more valuable to him than any attorney general.

    </quote>

    ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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