Fetterman Says Trump Lacks Leverage

President Donald Trump’s effort to install Todd Blanche as the nation’s permanent attorney general has hit another major obstacle on Capitol Hill, with several Republican senators refusing to move the nomination forward until their concerns are addressed.

The latest setback prompted Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) to predict Friday that Blanche is unlikely to win Senate confirmation before the end of the year. Speaking with CNN’s Kasie Hunt, Fetterman argued that Trump currently has “zero leverage” over the growing group of Republican lawmakers standing in the way of the nomination.

His comments came just one day after Trump floated the idea of temporarily withdrawing Blanche’s nomination and resubmitting it after two key Republican senators leave office in January. However, several GOP lawmakers have suggested that strategy may not resolve the issues at the center of the dispute.

Republican Senators Continue to Block the Nomination

The Senate Judiciary Committee was forced to postpone its scheduled vote on Blanche’s nomination after Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced they were not prepared to support advancing him.

Both senators are demanding written assurances from the Justice Department that a proposed $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” created as part of the settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, has been permanently eliminated.

In addition, they want the administration to narrow the scope of an audit-immunity provision covering Trump, members of his family, and several of their businesses.

During his July 15 confirmation hearing, Blanche testified under oath that the controversial fund was no longer moving forward.

Cornyn later told reporters that Blanche’s testimony alone was not sufficient, arguing that the legal settlement requires written agreement from all parties before any changes become official.

More Republicans Voice Concerns

Resistance to Blanche’s nomination appears to be spreading beyond Cornyn and Tillis.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) also expressed reservations Thursday, saying he remains concerned about what he described as the politicization of the Justice Department. Cassidy suggested Republicans may ultimately need to consider another nominee if their questions are not adequately answered.

Although Cassidy cannot block the nomination by himself, his public comments signal that concerns within the Republican conference extend beyond the two senators Trump has publicly criticized.

Slim Senate Margins Leave Little Room for Error

The political math has become increasingly difficult for the White House.

Following the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Republicans now hold only an 11-10 advantage on the Senate Judiciary Committee. That narrow margin means a single Republican defection is enough to stop Blanche’s nomination from advancing.

The situation is even more challenging on the Senate floor, where Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has remained absent since mid-June following a fall and a battle with pneumonia.

With such slim margins, even a handful of Republican holdouts could delay confirmation indefinitely.

Trump Floats a New Strategy

In response to the growing impasse, President Trump suggested Thursday that he may temporarily withdraw Blanche’s nomination and submit it again after Cornyn and Tillis leave the Senate.

Trump also emphasized that Blanche would continue serving as acting attorney general regardless of whether the Senate confirms him this year.

Cornyn quickly rejected the president’s strategy, posting on X that Trump was mistaken if he believed opposition was limited to only two Republican senators.

The Texas senator also warned that the lawmakers elected to replace outgoing senators next year could potentially be Democrats, making confirmation even more difficult than it is today.

Fetterman Sees No Path Forward

Fetterman, who opposes Blanche’s nomination, said he has not seen meaningful Republican support for the disputed settlement fund and believes the vote count is unlikely to change before the end of the year.

According to the Pennsylvania senator, the White House simply does not have the votes needed to break the current stalemate.

What Happens Next?

For now, Todd Blanche will continue serving as acting attorney general while negotiations between the Trump administration and Senate Republicans continue behind closed doors.

Unless the White House can satisfy the concerns raised by key GOP senators or secure additional Republican support, Blanche’s confirmation could remain stalled for months. The battle has become one of the most closely watched nomination fights of Trump’s second term and highlights ongoing divisions within the Republican conference over the future direction of the Justice Department.