NewzA key Republican senator, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, said he would back Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general, smoothing the path for his ultimate confirmation by the Senate.(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch) Lisa Murkowski said Friday she will oppose Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general, narrowing the confirmation path for President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Justice Department. Susan Collins of Maine in opposing Blanche, cited the Justice Department's handling of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, a sweeping tax audit immunity deal for Trump and a proposed $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate the Republican president's allies.“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration," Murkowski said in a statement.
Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.”Murkowski's opposition injects fresh uncertainty into Blanche's nomination, which has faced obstacles over a settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service regarding his leaked tax returns.With Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky not attending Senate sessions, Blanche can only afford to lose two Republican votes if all Democrats oppose him. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who lost his primary after Trump backed his rival — has not said how he will vote.Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s criminal defense lawyer, entered the department last year as deputy attorney general and was elevated to the top post in an acting role after Pam Bondi's ouster in April.
While he could still run the department either as acting attorney general or deputy attorney general, his nomination failing would be a major political blow for the Trump administration.Democrats and Republicans alike have expressed serious concerns about the settlement, which called for the creation of a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who feel mistreated by the criminal justice system and provided Trump and family members with immunity from tax audits.Murkowski said she is worried the Trump administration could proceed with the proposed “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” despite the Trump administration's promises that it is dead, noting that the Senate has leverage over the fund only because Blanche’s nomination is pending.“Once we vote, that will end, and there is no telling what the future holds,” she said.The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche's nomination only after a deal re… The Alaska senator said she’s concerned the Trump administration could proceed with its proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate Jan. 6 rioters even though Blanche has issued a formal order terminating it.
Meanwhile, Trump said Thursday he was signing two executive actions on immigration: one limiting the number of people eligible for U.S. citizenship after being born in the United States and the other focused on stopping people from coming to the U.S. It’s a sign that even after Trump’s first attempt at limiting birthright citizenship was rejected by the Supreme Court, he’s ready to try again.
Here’s the latest: Trump promises he’ll tap his campaign chest to help Republicans The Republican president is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign money but told Punchbowl News in an interview released Friday that he’ll unleash the funds to help GOP candidates ahead of the November midterms. Trump says he has as much as $800 million to spend. Notably, he did not offer any details about when or where he’ll distribute the campaign cash.
Many Republicans have been counting on Trump’s super PAC being a key part of the GOP’s defense of their House and Senate majorities. The president’s political funds are a key part of Republicans’ overall financial advantage in the midterm campaign, despite individual Democratic Senate and House candidates outraising their Republican opponents in many key races across the country. Trump says he’d leave Blanche as acting AG whatever the Senate decides The president told Punchbowl News he’ll leave his acting attorney general at the Justice Department even if his nomination fails.
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