Trump's DOJ pick in trouble as GOP concerns threaten confirmation
President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Justice is already facing headwinds among Senate Republicans that could derail, or outright torpedo, his confirmation process. And the process to...
By Fox News · Fox News
President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Justice is already facing headwinds among Senate Republicans that could derail, or outright torpedo, his confirmation process. And the process to either confirm or deny acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to replace former Attorney General Pam Bondi is already underway in the Senate, with Trump officially sending his nomination to the upper chamber on Monday. Blanche’s involvement in the controversial, now-defunct $2 billion anti-weaponization fund, and his actions surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill rioters are two key breaking points for some Senate Republicans. TRUMP EYES NEXT ATTORNEY GENERAL AS KEY GOP SENATOR SIGNALS POTENTIAL ROADBLOCK His first challenge will be getting through the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., could be the pivotal vote that would make or break his confirmation. Tillis was vehemently opposed to the anti-weaponization fund, going so far as to offer an amendment to divert the money to the nation’s anti-fraud fund and voting with Senate Democrats every step of the way to ensure there was no chance the move could be made again. But for Tillis, Blanche’s comments and actions about the Jan. 6 rioters are his main "circuit breaker." "They better not have said for one minute that the people who beat up police officers, like these right down here, were righteous people," Tillis said. "You come even close to saying that, you don’t have a [chance] of getting my vote in Judiciary." WATCH: DEM SENATOR SNAPS AFTER ACTING AG BLANCHE ACCUSES HIM OF 'OBVIOUSLY LYING' IN HEATED EXCHANGE The skepticism about Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s personal lawyer before making the leap to the DOJ, extends beyond Tillis among those in the GOP. And he’ll receive no quarter from Senate Democrats, either in committee or during a confirmation vote. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Blanche of both shielding Trump from legal consequences and using "the justi…