Republican defectors U-turn on Trump's attorney general pick after deal struck on $1.8B 'weaponization slush fund'

By BREANNE DEPPISCH, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 16:53, 3 August 2026 | Updated: 16:53, 3 August 2026 Two Senate Republicans said they will now vote for President Donald Trump's attorney general nominee, Todd Blanche, after concerns about the president's $1.8b 'slush fund' were put to rest.   The update from Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis comes after DOJ agreed in writing to end a controversial 'anti-weaponization' fund and limit the scope of a sweeping IRS audit release for Trump and his family. The news puts Blanche back on track to advance through the Senate Judiciary Committee as early as Tuesday morning and then to the full Senate floor for confirmation.  And it caps what had been a rocky two weeks of back-and-forth over the terms of a sweeping IRS deal and a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund - even as critics noted that the language is not quite as strong as the GOP holdouts might have hoped.  '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,' Cornyn and Tillis said in a joint statement announcing their plans to support Blanche. Cornyn's office told the Daily Mail the Justice Department has formally killed off the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund - the pot of money set up to compensate Trump allies who claim political persecution.  Cornyn was also assured that the DOJ has separately put in writing that the tax audit protection President Trump won from the IRS is far narrower than Republicans had feared. The news caps a weeks-long standoff from Cornyn and Tillis over the text of a controversial tax immunity agreement for Trump and members of his family, as well as $1.8 billion fund that would have compensated victims of so-called 'lawfare' under previous administrations.  Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a news conference at DOJ  These concerns were significant enough for both Republicans to withhold their 'yes' votes barring written confirmation from DOJ Despite testimony from Blanche that the IRS settlement and anti-weaponization fund were 'dead,' Trump appeared to double down on his support for the sticking points last week, suggesting on Truth Social that he might withdraw Blanche's nomination and instead resubmit it in 2027, after Cornyn and Tillis had left the Senate. Cornyn and Tillis had suggested the resistance appeared to be coming from within the White House, rather than from Blanche or the Justice Department, and Friday had ended with little in the way of progress or optimism.   Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the news on social media Monday in a post of his own.  ‘My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions,’ Blanche said, adding: ‘We have enjoyed good faith discussions, and as a result issue the following order and update with regard to the May IRS settlement.'