Sen. Tillis Dismisses Trump’s Threat Over AG Nomination

Sen. Tillis Responds to Trump’s Nomination Threat

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has dismissed President Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw the nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Tillis emphasized that the responsibility lies with the White House to fulfill prior commitments to secure his support.

“That’s his prerogative,” Tillis remarked regarding Trump’s intent to withdraw Blanche’s nomination.

Demanding White House Accountability

Tillis’ remarks followed Trump’s criticism of Tillis and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, on Truth Social for obstructing Blanche’s appointment as the top prosecutor. Trump proposed delaying Blanche’s nomination until both senators are out of office next year—citing Tillis’ retirement and Cornyn’s primary election loss.

Negotiations Remain Challenging

Tillis insists that the nomination impasse will persist unless the administration agrees to certain terms. His demands include the removal of an anti-weaponization fund of nearly $2 billion and revising Trump’s audit immunity language. The discussions over these stipulations continue, as Tillis points out, “The best thing is, take the win, get Blanche confirmed and get this agreement out of the way.” He emphasized the importance of adhering to Blanche’s commitments to secure his confirmation vote.

Blanche Not at Fault, Tillis Asserts

Tillis made it clear that Blanche himself isn’t to blame for the deadlock. He attributes the issue to an advisor on Trump’s team, suggesting they need to address the stalemate. Tillis expressed confidence in Blanche’s integrity during the confirmation process, defending, “This is not Blanche’s problem. It’s clear to me that Blanche was honest when he answered without hesitation, working with us to end this.”

Future Senate Dynamics Uncertain

Tillis noted the unpredictability of Senate composition next year, emphasizing that more Republican seats are vulnerable compared to Democrats. He stated, “The best case scenario is you come back with the same number of people next year, and our members are not going to be any more supportive of this than they are today.”

Implications of Withdrawing Blanche’s Nomination

While Trump threatens to withdraw Blanche’s nomination, Tillis highlighted that Blanche could still serve as acting AG for a substantial period. This is possible due to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which allows acting officials a tenure of 210 days, with tenure recalibration if a nomination is withdrawn. Thus, Blanche could potentially serve until late February.

Ongoing Negotiations

Despite Trump’s vocal ultimatum, Tillis mentioned that negotiations continue with the administration. He remains open to supporting Blanche, stating, “In this place, nothing’s ever as good or as bad as it seems, so we’re continuing to negotiate.”

Contributions to this report were made by Alex Miller and Adam Pack from Fox News Digital.