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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche just did what should have been obvious from the start: he formally rescinded the Justice Department’s controversial order that created the so‑called Anti‑Weaponization Fund. That move ended the two key Senate roadblocks to his confirmation, as Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis announced they will now back advancing his nomination out of the Judiciary Committee. The fight is not over, but the path forward just got a lot clearer — and a lot odder.
Blanche rescinds the Anti‑Weaponization Fund and GOP holdouts flip
In a short, decisive step, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued an order that undid the Justice Department’s earlier directive creating the $1.776 billion Anti‑Weaponization Fund. Senators Cornyn and Tillis had been holding up Blanche’s confirmation until they got a written, legal end to the fund and limits on audit protections that came with the related settlement. With the rescission in hand, both senators said they will vote to advance the nomination out of committee.
What this means for the nomination and the Senate Judiciary Committee
With the two GOP holdouts no longer blocking, the Judiciary Committee is expected to move quickly to put Blanche’s nomination on the calendar. Republicans control the committee by a narrow margin, so Cornyn and Tillis effectively had veto power. Their switch clears the immediate procedural hurdle and puts Blanche one step closer to a full Senate confirmation vote. For anyone who thought Washington couldn’t turn a confirmation into a circus, think again.
Why the Anti‑Weaponization Fund triggered alarm
The fund sprang from a settlement tied to an IRS lawsuit and included unusual features: a large pot of money housed in a federal fund and audit protections that critics said reached beyond the parties to the suit. That raised real concerns about the proper use of federal dollars and the limits of settlement agreements. A judge had already pressed the government for written assurances that the fund would not proceed without more legal grounding. That pressure is what finally forced a formal, written rescission — not loud speeches or social media boasts.
Legal loose ends and political theater to watch next
Don’t mistake the rescission for a full legal wipeout. Lawyers note that canceling the Justice Department’s order may not erase every legal effect of the underlying settlement. Courts, plaintiffs and other signatories still have options. And in true Washington fashion, President Trump threatened to revive the fund if Blanche weren’t confirmed — a reminder that this could flare again if politics demands it. For now, though, Republicans got the paper they wanted and the confirmation moves forward.
Bottom line: a win for oversight — and for leverage
This episode shows one thing clearly: a little toughness and a demand for a written promise still matter in the Senate. Cornyn and Tillis used the leverage they had to force a legal fix. Blanche gave it to them, and the administration blinked. Whether the final confirmation vote follows or another technicality trips the process up, conservatives should be glad the anti‑weaponization plan was put on ice in writing — not left to the next administration’s whim. Keep watching the court papers; that’s where the final answers will come.
