World

Senate committee vote on Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination postponed

Herz — World Desk · 30 July 2026 at 20:00 · 30s summary · 3 min read

The essentials

Republicans have postponed the Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination as US attorney general, which had been scheduled for Thursday, July 30, 2026. According to Al Jazeera, the nomination still lacks sufficient support within the committee. Republican senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have publicly expressed skepticism. Their concerns include Blanche’s close ties to President Donald Trump and a disputed settlement involving the Internal Revenue Service, the US federal tax agency. Every Republican on the committee must support Blanche before his nomination can advance to the full Senate.

The committee vote scheduled for July 30, 2026, has been postponed.
Every Republican on the committee must support Blanche for the nomination to advance.
John Cornyn and Thom Tillis have publicly expressed skepticism.
A disputed settlement involving Trump and the IRS has drawn criticism.

What we know

Republicans have postponed the Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination as US attorney general. The vote had been scheduled for Thursday, July 30, 2026.

According to Al Jazeera, a committee spokesperson announced the postponement late on Wednesday, July 29, while officials continued trying to secure sufficient support for Blanche.

President Donald Trump selected Blanche to become attorney general. Blanche currently leads the US Department of Justice, a federal executive department, in an acting capacity.

Every Republican on the committee must support Blanche before his nomination can be sent to the full Senate for a vote.

Two Republican senators voice skepticism

Republican senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have publicly expressed skepticism about Blanche. Both are due to leave Congress.

Their concerns focus on Blanche’s close relationship with Trump and a settlement reached after Trump sued the Internal Revenue Service, the US federal tax agency, over the disclosure of his tax returns.

Before joining the Department of Justice, Blanche served as Trump’s personal lawyer in his criminal defense.

The disputed IRS settlement

The settlement protected Trump and his family from future tax investigations. It also provided for a $1.8 billion fund through which people alleging politically motivated federal prosecutions could seek compensation.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers opposed the fund, describing it as a mechanism that would use taxpayer money to reward Trump’s allies.

At previous Senate hearings, Blanche said the proposed fund had been abandoned. A federal judge ruled the settlement unlawful.

Critics requested written confirmation that Blanche and other officials intended to abandon the settlement, saying they had not received sufficient assurances that it would not be revived.

Cornyn and Trump trade accusations

On Wednesday, July 29, 2026, Cornyn accused the Department of Justice of obstructing requests for additional information.

The ball was in Blanche’s court.
— John Cornyn, July 29, 2026

That same day, Trump suggested Cornyn was delaying the process because he resented Trump for withholding his endorsement.

In May 2026, Trump backed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against Cornyn in the Republican primary, despite polling indicating that Cornyn would be much better positioned than Paxton against Democrat James Talarico in November.

One source reports that Paxton defeated Cornyn in the Republican primary. Cornyn has served in the Senate for more than 20 years.