Trump threatens to ditch AG nominee over IRS immunity and $1.8 B fund

President Donald Trump signaled he would withdraw his attorney-general nominee, Todd Blanche, if Senate Republicans do not approve a nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund and a provision granting him and his children permanent exemption from IRS audits. The proposal, called unprecedented by Morning Joe co-host Joe Scarborough, elicited laughter on the program and criticism from both parties. Two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee reported that a White House official is preventing a written commitment on the fund, halting progress on the nomination.

Blanche, who has acted as attorney general since Pam Bondi’s departure, could stay in the acting capacity indefinitely, a tactic Trump has employed before. Senate leaders John Cornyn and Pat Tillis have expressed concerns, labeling the arrangement as self-dealing. The dispute underscores broader friction between the administration and Congress over the SAVE America Act, the filibuster, and other legislative issues.