Two Republican senators threaten to block Trump AG nominee Todd Blanche

Two outgoing Republican senators are reportedly prepared to derail Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general, citing concerns over a controversial fund tied to President Trump.

Key Concerns Over the "Anti-Weaponization Fund"

Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn, whose votes are critical to Blanche's confirmation, have focused their opposition on the status of President Trump's $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund." The fund was designed to provide financial assistance to individuals who claim they were attacked for supporting the president.

During Blanche's most recent confirmation hearing, Cornyn noted that while Blanche claimed the fund was dead, no written agreement existed to formally terminate it. Cornyn is now demanding that commitment in writing.

"What I want is the written document to say the same thing he did in his sworn testimony in front of the Judiciary Committee, and, as you recall, what he said is the weaponization fund is dead. He said the audit immunity basically doesn't extend to parties beyond the lawsuit, and it doesn't also extend to future actions by federal agencies other than the IRS," Cornyn said on Monday. "That's what we're trying to get them to agree to, which is again what his sworn testimony was. So I don't know why they're—I don't know why they're so reluctant to do that when he's already sworn to it."

Tillis has also demanded changes to the settlement agreement with the IRS, which created the $1.776 billion fund and granted the Trump family immunity from future IRS audits.

Previous Controversy: Epstein Survivor Meeting

Tillis had previously threatened to block Blanche's nomination unless he met with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. Blanche did so earlier this month, but survivors described the meeting as "demoralizing," saying Blanche continued to avoid answering their questions.

"It just felt like more political posturing and using survivors the way that we've been used as political pawns," said Elizabeth Stein, an Epstein survivor and anti-human trafficking educator.

Impact on Nomination

Cornyn and Tillis's "no" votes would effectively kill Blanche's nomination, as he needs the support of all 11 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to move forward. Currently, it appears he will not secure that support. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on advancing Blanche's nomination on Thursday.

DOJ Witness Undermines Case Against Olympic Canoeist in Reflecting Pool Incident

The Department of Justice's own witness is weakening the government's case against David Hearn, the former Olympic canoeist charged with vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Key Testimony

According to court documents, a grand jury witness for the government testified that the pool was damaged before Hearn approached it. NBC News reports that this witness was the only person who testified about damage to the pool.

Hearn, who has pleaded not guilty, maintains that "the condition of the Reflecting Pool was the same after I stepped away from the water as it was before I got there," and that he only touched a part of the pool's detached coating.

Charges and Evidence

President Trump has claimed that vandals used a knife or blade to cause a "gash" in the pool's lining, but has provided no evidence to support that claim.

Hearn faces a felony charge of destruction of property, accused of causing $1,000 worth of damage to the pool. His lawyers question the evidence behind that figure, noting that $1,000 is the threshold required to charge him with a felony. At least three other people have been charged with misdemeanors related to incidents at the pool.

Defense Argument

Hearn's lawyers stated that the government's main witness testimony "established that the pool had substantial preexisting damage requiring repair before any alleged conduct by Mr. Hearn."

"The government's only witness on that element testified that the property was already deteriorated, that the identified repairs would have been needed even without Mr. Hearn's alleged conduct, and that he could not quantify any loss caused by that conduct," they continued. "Consequently, the grand jury's indictment of Mr. Hearn is hard to explain. Mr. Hearn needs to learn whether the grand jury was properly instructed."