Republican Senator Thom Tillis Threatens to Block Trump’s Acting AG Todd Blanche

Outgoing Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina has issued a stark warning to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, declaring he is in “dangerous waters.”

In an interview with Semafor on Thursday, Tillis announced his intention to block Blanche’s confirmation if he is nominated to lead the Justice Department. The senator’s stance hinges on comments Blanche made at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last month, where he boasted about firing federal prosecutors involved in cases related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Blanche also highlighted the January 20, 2025, mass pardon issued by former President Donald Trump for participants in the riot, stating, “When folks say ‘you’ve done nothing,’ I say you have a very short memory.”

Tillis holds significant influence in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where his vote could tip the balance against a nominee if all Democrats unite in opposition. He emphasized his unwavering stance: “The principle here is that anybody who didn’t back the blue on January 6th is disqualified from consideration for me in the Judiciary Committee.”

He added, “The more recent comments are really what drew my attention. So that I have to parse through. The minute you give somebody slack, then you’ve lost the principle, right?” Blanche, he noted, “is not a politician in his current state. But when you start acting like a politician, you get treated like one.”

Blanche’s Rise Under Trump

Blanche joined Trump’s legal team in 2023 as his defense attorney in criminal trials. His rapid ascent within the administration continued when he was appointed as Pam Bondi’s deputy. Bondi, a former Florida Attorney General, was fired earlier this month for allegedly overstepping her role by attempting to use the Justice Department to target Trump’s political opponents and mishandle the Jeffrey Epstein case files—one of Trump’s most persistent scandals.

Since assuming the role of acting attorney general, Blanche has moved aggressively to align with Trump’s priorities. His actions include:

• Accelerating investigations into Trump’s targeted conspiracies;
• Firing prosecutors who enforced laws protecting abortion clinics;
• Defending the White House’s direct involvement in Department of Justice (DOJ) affairs;
• Initiating a controversial indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center for collaborating with law enforcement on extremism cases.

John Fishwick, a former U.S. Attorney in Virginia, told MS NOW: “Blanche knows Trump wants action in the cases Trump has publicly targeted. It is always a challenge to audition for a job for Trump, but Blanche is moving the chessboard at DOJ to try and get results that will satisfy the president.”