Sen. Marsha Blackburn expressed confidence that Todd Blanche will win full Senate confirmation as attorney general before the August break, even as a narrow GOP majority and at least one Republican defection keep the math tight.
Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, told Newsmax's "Wake Up America" on Wednesday that she expects the Senate to act quickly after the Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche's nomination the day before on a 12-10 party-line vote. The committee cleared Blanche without a single Democratic vote, sending the nomination to the full chamber for what could be one of the tightest confirmation fights of the current Congress.
The path narrowed after Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, announced her opposition. Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has also been absent. With Republicans holding a slim majority, the margin for error is almost nonexistent.
The committee vote nearly didn't happen. Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had stalled the nomination over concerns about a controversial $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund created inside the Justice Department. The fund, designed to compensate allies of President Donald Trump, drew bipartisan scrutiny and became the central obstacle to Blanche's confirmation.
Blanche broke the standoff Sunday evening by issuing an order confirming, in his words, "beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund." He also provided written clarifications limiting the scope of Trump's IRS tax audit immunity deal, AP News reported.
That concession unlocked Cornyn's and Tillis's votes. Cornyn framed the resolution in practical terms:
"The Department of Justice does not need a temporary, unconfirmed nominee as our nation's top law enforcement official. Trump needs someone in this role, as well, with a strong legal mind."
Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Judiciary Committee chairman, praised the resolution. He said he was "grateful that they as well as Mr. Blanche and the White House worked in good faith to solve them, formally rescinding the fund." Grassley had rescheduled the committee vote at least once while holdouts pressed their demands.
On Wednesday, Blackburn projected confidence that the full Senate would follow through. She pointed to Blanche's record running the department in an acting capacity as evidence he deserves the permanent job.
"I do think the votes are there, and I do believe that we will get him confirmed before we have the break for the August state work period."
She added that Blanche "has served well as the deputy attorney general and now as the acting attorney general," and said she looks forward to supporting his nomination. Blanche has led the Justice Department in an acting role since April, according to Breitbart.
Trump himself weighed in on the nomination, calling Blanche "a very, very good man" and arguing he "shouldn't be in the middle of this." The president added: "He should get approved because you will never get anybody like him."
But the floor vote is not a foregone conclusion. Beyond Collins's announced opposition, Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, John Curtis of Utah, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana have not committed to supporting Blanche, Fox News reported. Blanche can afford to lose no more than two Republican votes on the floor.
Murkowski offered a cautiously positive signal, saying: "I think certainly the fact that he has signed this order, basically disbanding [the fund], that's a pretty good step." Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana was blunter: "He'll be confirmed."
The question is whether the deal Blanche struck with Cornyn and Tillis holds, and whether skeptics like Murkowski see enough in the written commitments to vote yes. The rescission of the anti-weaponization fund removed the biggest single objection, but some Republicans want assurances that the department will honor the commitment in future litigation.
During the same Newsmax appearance, Blackburn addressed the administration's negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. She praised Trump's handling of the talks without offering specific details on their status, saying simply that "getting it resolved is the important thing to do."
She drew a hard line on the stakes, calling Iran "the globe's largest state sponsor of terrorism" and arguing that every dollar Tehran earns "goes into enriching uranium to have a nuclear warhead and also into sponsoring terrorism."
"Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and he is taking those steps."
Blackburn did not name specific Middle Eastern allies backing the administration's efforts, but her framing left no ambiguity about where she believes the red line should sit: no nuclear-armed Iran, period.
Blackburn also used the interview to promote legislation she introduced with a group of Republican senators aimed at the Daughters of the American Revolution. The bill, called the Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Integrity Act, would amend the DAR's federal charter to bar biological males from joining the organization.
The DAR adopted a nondiscrimination policy that critics say allows biological males who identify as women to become members. Blackburn said she had heard from numerous Tennesseans upset by the change and framed the issue in blunt terms:
"The Daughters of the American Revolution was founded by women for women, and its founders would be appalled that the organization is now allowing biological males to become members and undermine the legacy of real women who helped build our nation."
She put it even more simply on air: "If you are the daughters, then you are female."
Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama, Mike Lee of Utah, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota co-introduced the Senate bill. Rep. Ben Cline of Virginia is leading a companion bill in the House. The broader Republican push to draw clear lines on biological sex in federal policy continues to gain momentum across multiple fronts.
The DAR has not publicly responded to the legislation or to Blackburn's statements, based on available reporting. Whether the bill gains traction will depend in part on how many House and Senate members view a federally chartered women's organization as the right venue for this fight.
The Blanche confirmation battle has revealed fault lines inside the Republican conference that go beyond one nominee. The Anti-Weaponization Fund standoff forced the White House to make concessions to its own members before a single Democrat objected. Cornyn and Tillis extracted written commitments. Collins broke ranks entirely. And the final floor vote still depends on at least two undecided Republicans falling in line.
For Blackburn, the math is straightforward. She believes the votes exist, and she wants the confirmation done before senators leave Washington for August. Just The News noted that Sens. Murkowski and Collins remain the two most prominent holdouts, making every remaining Republican vote critical.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune now has the authority to schedule the floor vote. How quickly he moves, and whether the deal with holdouts survives contact with the full chamber, will determine whether the Justice Department gets a permanent leader or continues operating under an acting arrangement that both parties agree has gone on long enough.
A government that cannot confirm its own attorney general is a government that cannot credibly demand accountability from anyone else.