Republicans say they will back Blanche after US Justice Department order

Two Republican senators say they will end their opposition after order cancelling controversial $۱.۸bn fund.

Two United States Republican senators have said they will end their opposition to US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Justice, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, after Blanche scrapped a controversial “anti-weaponisation fund” that bipartisan critics say would use taxpayer dollars to reward Trump’s political allies.

Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina said in a statement on Monday that they would vote to advance Blanche’s nomination to the full US Senate, after he issued an order rescinding the $۱.۸bn fund the night before.

“We want to express our gratitude to Mr Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon,” the two senators said.

Blanche’s path towards confirmation in the US Senate, where Republicans hold a slim majority, had previously been held up due to concerns about the fund, created for allies of Trump who say they were the victims of government persecution. The possibility that supporters of Trump who took part in the January ۶, ۲۰۲۱, assault on the US Capitol could qualify for payments sparked bipartisan backlash.

Cornyn and Tillis, whose votes Blanche needs to advance through the Senate Judiciary Committee, had previously said that they would not vote to confirm him without written confirmation that the fund will not be pursued.

Blanche, who currently serves as attorney general in an interim capacity, oversaw the initial creation of the fund as part of a controversial settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Trump had initially sued the federal tax agency, which falls under his executive control, for $۱۰bn.

Blanche stated during a hearing at the Justice Department in June that he would not move forward with the fund. But Trump continued to promote it, including on Saturday, and lawmakers remained sceptical that the fund was truly dead.

If Cornyn and Tillis did not support Blanche, Trump wrote on social media on Saturday that he would “push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill” passed. He added that he would also keep Blanche as acting attorney general and bypass the Senate confirmation process.

“Although the Acting Attorney General has repeatedly advised Congress through testimony, including under oath, as well as in written responses, that the Fund is not moving forward, and the Department has repeatedly represented to district courts that the Fund is not moving forward, today’s Order officially rescinds the May ۱۸, ۲۰۲۶ Order,” the Justice Department said in a statement accompanying the order on Sunday.

“No Members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid,” the document says. “This order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.”