The Republican resistance to DOJ nominee Todd Blanche was never serious
Two key Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, initially blocked the nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche due to concerns about a $1.8 billion slush fund and a collusive deal between President Donald Trump and the IRS. However, they have now signa…
Intelligence analysis by Llama
The nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears to be on track after two key Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, signalled that they will vote to move his nomination forward. The senators had initially blocked the nomination due to concerns about a $1.8 billion slush fund and a collusive deal between President Donald Trump and the IRS, but Blanche made som…
Imagine a country where the top lawyer, the Attorney General, is more loyal to the president than to the law. That's what's happening in the United States right now. The president, Donald Trump, is trying to make the Attorney General, Todd Blanche, into his personal advocate and enforcer. This is a big problem because it means that the Justice Department, which is supposed to be fair and impartial, is being used to punish people who disagree with the president. It's like having a referee in a game who is also playing for one of the teams.
Analysis
A $60B Vote of Confidence
The nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears to be on track after two key Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, signalled that they will vote to move his nomination forward. The senators had initially blocked the nomination due to concerns about a $1.8 billion slush fund and a collusive deal between President Donald Trump and the IRS, but Blanche made some concessions to secure their votes.
The fact that Blanche is likely to be confirmed, despite his sycophancy towards Trump, suggests that any meaningful guardrails on a weaponized Justice Department have ceased to exist. The Justice Department's lawyers have been transformed into Trump's personal advocates and enforcers, and it appears that this trend will continue under Blanche's leadership.
The $1.8 billion slush fund that Blanche helped create as the Justice Department's acting leader is a major concern. This fund could be paid out to Trump's allies, including participants in the January 6 attack on the US capitol. Blanche originally established this fund in a May 18 order, but he later tweeted out a new document terminating his May 18th order. Cornyn and Tillis demanded a written order from Blanche
Key points
- Two key Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, initially blocked the nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche due to concerns about a $1.8 billion slush fund and a collusive deal between President Donald Trump and the IRS.
- Blanche made some concessions to secure the votes of Cornyn and Tillis, including terminating his May 18th order establishing the $1.8 billion slush fund.
- The nomination of Todd Blanche is significant because it suggests that any meaningful guardrails on a weaponized Justice Department have ceased to exist.
- The use of law enforcement to cow Trump's critics is a major concern, and it appears that this trend will continue under Blanche's leadership.
If Todd Blanche is confirmed as the Attorney General, it's possible that he will try to reform the Justice Department and make it more fair and impartial. However, this is uncertain and it's also possible that he will continue to use the Justice Department as a tool for revenge against Trump's perceived enemies.
The confirmation of Todd Blanche as the Attorney General raises concerns about the potential for the Justice Department to be used as a tool for revenge against Trump's perceived enemies. This could lead to a further erosion of trust in the Justice Department and the rule of law in the United States.
