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Senate advances Todd Blanche to be Trump's attorney general despite 'weaponization,' Epstein and abortion concerns

Tillis said he would support Blanche after the acting attorney general rescinded the order establishing the anti-weaponization fund.

Senate advances Todd Blanche to be Trump's attorney general despite 'weaponization,' Epstein and abortion concerns
Image · The Independent

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Outlet credibilityThe Independent77/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 1, 2026
tl;dr

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination after Republican senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn agreed to support him following an agreement to rescind the Justice Department’s anti-weaponization fund order. Democrats questioned whether the agreement would prevent the fund from being established again.

Community verdict

14 VOTES
How does this story look for
Thom Tillis R · NC · SEN
● OPEN

People in this story

SWIPE →
Thom Tillis
R · NC · SEN

Senator who threatened to oppose Blanche’s nomination before agreeing to support him

PRIMARY SUBJECT
Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President who supported the fund and threatened to withdraw Blanche’s nomination

Trump's version of this story ↗
Todd Blanche
R · Attorney General

Acting attorney general nominated to become attorney general

Blanche's version of this story ↗

Former attorney general whose handling of the Epstein files is described as a reason for her departure

Sheldon Whitehouse
D · RI · SEN

Senator who criticized the agreement as ineffective

Cory A. Booker
D · NJ · SEN

Senator who denounced the nomination and said the agreement offered no guarantees

John Cornyn
R · TX · SEN

Senator who objected to the fund and IRS settlement before agreeing to support Blanche’s nomination

ALSO MENTIONED  James Comey, Former FBI director named as a target of unsuccessful cases brought under Trump; Letitia James, New York attorney general named as a target of unsuccessful cases brought under Trump

Part of a bigger story

13 OUTLETS
Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Todd Blanche’s Attorney General Nomination

Outlets agree the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination after Thomas Tillis and John Cornyn backed it following Justice Department action addressing their concerns. The coverage connects their support to assurances about a proposed fund and an IRS settlement. Left-leaning outlets portray the support as evidence of Blanche’s and the senators’ unfitness. Center outlets focus on the committee vote and assurances behind the changed support, with Newsweek also noting Tillis’s criticism of DOJ. Right-leaning outlets likewise center the vote and deal, especially the holdouts’ demands and the department’s response, while The Last Refuge also reports Democratic objections.

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