Trump’s former lawyer advances in attorney general bid after deal with Republican holdouts

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US senators voted along party lines on Tuesday to advance President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, as attorney general, after he formally scrapped a controversial US$1.8 billion fund created through the administration's settlement of a lawsuit brought by the president. The Senate Judiciary Committee vote followed two hours of debate about Blanche's relationship with Trump and the unusual settlement that almost derailed his confirmation.

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The South China Morning Post reported that the committee vote was 12-10, with Republicans voting in favour and Democrats opposing. The vote came after Republican senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had delayed the committee vote for a week, threatening to oppose Blanche unless he dismantled the proposed "Anti-Weaponisation Fund" and narrowed an agreement limiting Internal Revenue Service audits of Trump and his family.

According to the South China Morning Post, the fund emerged from the Trump administration's settlement of a lawsuit the president filed against the IRS over the leaking of his tax records. It was intended to compensate people who claimed politically motivated government investigations had targeted them. However, critics warned that it could be used to benefit Trump allies, including defendants charged over the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

TASS reported that the vote had been postponed indefinitely at the request of several Republicans on the committee, citing The Hill newspaper. According to TASS, those Republicans were demanding written assurances that the administration does not plan to create a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate individuals who, according to Trump, suffered as a result of abuses by US authorities under former President Joe Biden. Many lawmakers consider this use of taxpayer funds inappropriate.

The Guardian reported that key Republicans, including senators Cornyn and Tillis, had demanded further assurances about the settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the IRS. Cornyn and Tillis demanded additional assurances in writing that the "Anti-Weaponization Fund" is dead and pressed for clarification on the scope of the tax immunity deal. Cornyn said he wants the administration to modify that piece of the settlement to make clear that it covers only existing audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.

Key claims

• The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines to advance Blanche's nomination, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
• Blanche had been serving as acting attorney general since his predecessor, Pam Bondi, resigned in April, according to the South China Morning Post.
• The $1.8 billion fund was created through the settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the IRS over the leaking of his tax records, as reported by the South China Morning Post and TASS.
• Republican senators Cornyn and Tillis delayed the committee vote for a week, demanding further assurances about the settlement, as reported by the South China Morning Post and The Guardian.
• Cornyn has demanded the administration modify the tax immunity deal to cover only existing audits, as reported by The Guardian.
• TASS reported that the vote was postponed indefinitely at the request of several Republicans, citing The Hill newspaper.
• Trump appointed Blanche as acting attorney general in April and nominated him for the permanent position in June, as reported by TASS.
• The Guardian also reported that most Americans say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, and that Trump's approval rating on Iran has fallen slightly since last month, according to an AP-NORC poll. About two-thirds of US adults say the war has not been worthwhile, including about 37% of Republicans.