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Will Blanche Be Confirmed?

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Rep. Ro Khanna on Blanche Nomination, Epstein Accountability and His Detention by Israeli Settlers

Democracy Now!

1 hour ago

Rep. Ro Khanna on Blanche Nomination, Epstein Accountability and His Detention by Israeli Settlers

President Trump said Thursday he may temporarily withdraw his nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general after two Republican senators, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, said they would not vote to advance Blanche’s nomination until they received written assurances that he would limit some of the terms in the controversial deal reached between the Department of Justice and President Trump to settle his personal lawsuit against the IRS. Blanche, currently acting attorney general, is “refusing to make a clear commitment that American tax dollars aren’t going to go to the rioters of January 6th,” says Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna. “He’s refusing to make a clear commitment that Trump’s family could still be held liable for violating financial laws.” Khanna also speaks about his ongoing efforts to bring justice for survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse, about which he says Blanche “has been the biggest obstacle to justice,” his recent trip to the occupied West Bank where he was detained by armed Israeli settlers and more.

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Blanche Nomination on Hold--and It Could Stay That Way

RealClearPolitics - Homepage

1 hour ago

Blanche Nomination on Hold--and It Could Stay That Way

Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis have effectively stalled Blanche's nomination, and could prevent his confirmation until September - if he gets confirmed at all.

Center Right

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Morning Joe cracks up at Trump for throwing Blanche 'overboard' for IRS immunity

Alternet.org

2 hours ago

Morning Joe cracks up at Trump for throwing Blanche 'overboard' for IRS immunity

The hosts of "Morning Joe" cracked up on Friday, laughing at President Donald Trump's willingness to throw his attorney general nominee "overboard" once two Republicans said they refused to sign off. Formerly Trump's personal lawyer, Todd Blanche has been serving as the acting attorney general since Pam Bondi left the office. There was a willingness to approve Blanche among Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, but one sticking point remained: a nearly $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund dreamed up by the president.On Thursday, two U.S. Senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee said that someone at the White House is stopping Blanche from agreeing to putting the cancellation of the fund in writing.The terms Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wants guarantee that the fund will not be started. A federal judge requested a signed agreement in court, and Blanche refused twice to sign such a pledge. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) is also bothered by the idea that Trump and his family would be above the law, due to a provision in the contract saying that neither he nor his children could ever be audited by the IRS "forever.""Morning Joe" co-host Mika Brzezinski read the news about the IRS ban on audits as Joe Scarborough cracked up laughing. "Donald Trump is saying, 'I will throw my attorney general nominee overboard if my family and I can't get immunity from the IRS,' the likes of which nobody else in America has," said Scarborough. "So, what he's saying is we want to live — the Trump family wants to live by separate rules regarding the IRS than any other family in America, any other family on the planet. And he's willing to not have an attorney general, to do that. I mean, this is something." He added that the matter isn't only unpopular with Democrats, but with Republicans too. Reporter Jonathan Lemire said it's the issue that lawmakers are angrier about than the fund. Trump, he said, "made clear what his priorities are. He prioritizes the fund and the IRS protections over installing Todd Blanche as permanent attorney general."Blanche could remain in his acting role indefinitely, as he was already approved by the U.S. Senate as the deputy attorney general. As Trump discovered in his first term, having "actings" in the top spots gives him more freedom to hire and fire as he sees fit. There have not been serious consequences to Trump's use of "acting" secretaries in the first or second terms. Lemire noted that Trump's solution to the matter was to simply say he'd reappoint Blanche after Cornyn and Tillis are gone. "But problem with that plan, of course, is we have no idea what the Senate's going to look like come January," he explained. "The Republicans may have a smaller margin or perhaps be in the minority."Cornyn also made it clear on X Thursday that he and Tillis are not the only two who have issues with Blanche over the contract between Trump and the government. Calling it "self-dealing" and "corruption," Scarborough said he's "never seen anything like it in my life. This is one politician saying, "My family and I are going to get protected status, are going to get immunity from IRS audits now and in the future."Axios reporter Marc Caputo said that both the Senate and White House realize they have "a broken relationship." Trump grows increasingly angry because the Senate won't do what he demands over the SAVE America Act, the filibuster and other matters.

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Trump may pull Blanche attorney general nomination for now as key Republicans withhold support

Politics - CBSNews.com

6 hours ago

Trump may pull Blanche attorney general nomination for now as key Republicans withhold support

President Trump may withdraw Todd Blanche's attorney general nomination until next year as two Republican senators refuse to advance him in the confirmation process. Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis have threatened to block Blanche unless Mr. Trump and the Department of Justice formally kill a controversial "anti-weaponization" fund.

Center

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Steve Bannon predicts Todd Blanche fight could be final straw for Trump’s relationship with Thune

Washington Examiner

8 hours ago

Steve Bannon predicts Todd Blanche fight could be final straw for Trump’s relationship with Thune

EXCLUSIVE — Steve Bannon is predicting that President Donald Trump’s increasingly strained relationship with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is headed toward an irreparable break, arguing that a showdown over acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination may be the final straw. Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist and a close outside ally, told the Washington […]

Center Right

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Todd Blanche can't hide behind Trump pardon on Epstein files: ex-prosecutor

Raw Story

12 hours ago

Todd Blanche can't hide behind Trump pardon on Epstein files: ex-prosecutor

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is inching closer to criminal charges, and even a Trump pardon won't save him, according to a legal expert.During an interview on Legal Breakdown, former prosecutor Glenn Kirschner dug into a new development with the Epstein files. The Trump Department of Justice handed over unredacted Epstein records to a judge on Thursday, and host Brian Tyler Cohen asked what kind of consequences Blanche still faces.Kirschner told Cohen that if Blanche handed over doctored files to the judge, he could face a "criminal investigation" and "obstruction of justice" charges.Cohen speculated, "If Trump holds true to his general ethos as it relates to law and order, he's going to dole out pardons to everybody in his vicinity," so "Todd Blanche probably does have a pardon waiting for him, especially if he's acting on Trump's behalf."However, Blanche still won't be off the hook, Kirschner said, "if Donald Trump delivers a pardon to Todd Blanche and there is some sort of showing, there's some evidence that Todd Blanche and Donald Trump were actually in a conspiracy together to cover up potentially incriminating information about Donald Trump."Kirschner explained that the Department of Justice under a future presidency can still challenge Blanche's pardon in federal court, and if a judge rules against the pardon, prosecutors can press the obstruction of justice charges."It will be incumbent upon the next Department of Justice, again once the rule of law comes back into the light of day, to march into court proudly and challenge that corruptly delivered pardon," Kirschner said.

Far Left

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Trump suggests he may pause Blanche's confirmation amid GOP pushback

Politics - CBSNews.com

15 hours ago

Trump suggests he may pause Blanche's confirmation amid GOP pushback

Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche's confirmation is on hold after some Republican senators refused to vote for him. President Trump suggested that he may press pause on the nomination. Nikole Killion has more details.

Center

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Trump caves on Todd Blanche's nomination

Raw Story

16 hours ago

Trump caves on Todd Blanche's nomination

President Donald Trump conceded Thursday he may temporarily withdraw Todd Blanche's attorney general nomination rather than capitulate to demands from two departing Republican senators. The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote Wednesday after Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) signaled they would block confirmation. Trump praised Blanche on Truth Social while threatening to resubmit the nomination after the senators leave office. The core dispute involves a Department of Justice-IRS settlement granting Trump and his family tax audit immunity and creating a $1.8 billion "weaponization fund" later abandoned. "Todd Blanche is a STAR," Trump began. "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. "All I want them to do is to confirm what he said in his sworn testimony before the Judiciary Committee, with regard not only to the weaponization fund, but also who is protected from future audits and what agencies of the federal government are bound by the release," Cornyn said, CBS News reported.Cornyn also told reporters talks had been "very constructive" Tuesday but shifted by Thursday, suggesting presidential intervention, according to NBC News reporter Laura Weiss. The DOJ has refused to cooperate with Cornyn's requests, according to The Hill, leaving no scheduled meetings between senators and the White House or Justice Department.Watch the video below. Your browser does not support the video tag.

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Will Blanche Be Confirmed?

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Will Blanche Be Confirmed?

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