GOP Senator Threatens President Trump’s Prospective AG, Unless He Condemns J6ers

Republican Senator Thom Tillis has set himself apart as being aggressively antagonistic against J6ers, along with anyone who defends them.

He has consistently lumped everyone who was at the Capitol on that fateful day together in one condemned group.

In his view — and in his own words — everyone that was involved are nothing but “thugs”.

Not patriots.  Not victims of a complicit FBI.  And definitely not victims of a weaponized Biden DOJ.

So the prospect that he would vote “YES” to confirm anyone to a Cabinet level position who leaned in a positive direction towards J6ers…

Much less someone who has taken bold steps in line with President Trump’s sweeping actions to release and clear the records of those prosecuted for J6-related charges…

May be no different than hoping against hope itself, at this stage of the game.

And Tillis has all but said as much regarding President Trump’s intended replacement for Pam Bondi as AG — Todd Blanche.

But Tillis’ issue isn’t only with the J6 crowd and Blanche’s public support for them.

Just a few weeks ago we brought you this story of President Trump’s reaction after Tillis went after the President’s proposed anti-weaponization fund — meant in many respects to aid those targeted by the Biden-era DOJ:

FAFO: RINO Slams $1.776B Anti-Weaponization Bill, Tastes President Trump’s Wrath: ‘Stupid on Stilts’

On one hand, Tillis has taken a public line that unequivocally eliminates the possibility that he would EVER vote in favor of someone like Blanche for a Cabinet level position.

Two weeks ago, when the idea of Todd Blanche becoming more than the "Acting" AG wasn't quite as tangible as it is now -- this is what Tillis had to say:

Will Tillis support Todd Blanche as permanent Attorney General if nominated?

He wouldn't get into "hypotheticals" but it doesn't sound like it.

Full Interview: https://t.co/DQo2kNNqjK #ncpol pic.twitter.com/frKe3VgR6w

— Reuben Jones (@ReubenJones1) May 21, 2026

On the other hand, Tillis has hinted that if he could only get that pesky weaponization fund off the table IN WRITING by means of a tagalong amendment to President Trump's ICE / Border Patrol funding bill...

That would really go a long way in getting Blanche confirmed.

Be advised, Tillis has consistently framed that discussion in terms of getting the weaponization fund off the table so DEMOCRATS couldn't use it against Blanche during a supposed confirmation hearing.

That issue was covered -- as well as outgoing Sen. John Cornyn's possible role in how this shapes up -- in this report from ABC News:

Should he be nominated for attorney general, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's nomination is expected to face challenges in the Senate.

President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Blanche during a dinner Wednesday evening at the White House.

Blanche, who was once Trump's personal attorney, served as deputy attorney general until the president tapped him to serve as acting attorney general after Pam Bondi's ouster in April.

Blanche's hardest fight might be before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will need to vote on his nomination before the whole Senate can vote to approve it. Blanche can ultimately only afford to lose a single Republican vote on the committee.

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Sen. John Cornyn, who was recently bested in the Texas GOP primary after Trump endorsed his opponent Ken Paxton, is also on the panel. Though Cornyn has typically reliably voted for Trump nominees, he has also made clear how much he hates the anti-weaponization fund. Without re-election pressure, he could also be a thorn in Blanche's side.

Cornyn told reporters earlier Thursday that he is also undecided on whether he'd support Blanche's nomination.

Tillis said he also has concerns about Blanche in part because of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol.

At an appearance at a conservative conference earlier this year, Blanche touted Trump's pardons for Jan. 6 rioters.

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"I haven't made a decision yet," Tillis said. "The key for Todd or anybody going through the Judiciary Committee is being pretty tight on January the 6th. They better not have said for one minute that the people that beat up police officers like these right down here (pointing to Capitol Police officers) were righteous people. You come even close to saying that you don't have a cheer of getting my vote in Judiciary."

And that's where the situation gets a tad sketchy.

Are both outgoing Tillis and Cornyn ready to sink Blanche's potential AG confirmation hearing with dual "NO" votes based solely on his record of supporting J6ers?

That weaponization fund, by the way, did NOT get permanently set aside as an amendment to the ICE / Border Patrol funding bill... which did get passed overnight in the Senate.

So, what now?  Does that mean President Trump's stated AG choice is a goner?

Does Blanche still have a shot?

Or should we take Tillis at his word that anyone who has "remotely" supported J6ers will never get his vote inside the powerful Judiciary committee?

Here's a really interesting clip from CNN as Tillis walks right into a live shot, and is asked basically both those questions (before last night's passage of the ICE / Border Patrol funding bill, I might add):

Thom Tillis, walking into my live shot, makes news on two fronts.
He says he’s a NO on Trump’s immigration bill without amendment killing weaponization fund.
He warns he’s a NO on Blanche if any equivocation on J6.
If there is, “you don’t even have a (chance) of getting my vote” pic.twitter.com/AYfXxHNCgz

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 4, 2026

Here's a full screen version of that video for easier viewing:

Thom Tillis, walking into my live shot, makes news on two fronts.
He says he’s a NO on Trump’s immigration bill without amendment killing weaponization fund.
He warns he’s a NO on Blanche if any equivocation on J6.
If there is, “you don’t even have a (chance) of getting my vote” pic.twitter.com/AYfXxHNCgz

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 4, 2026

What Tillis said on camera in that clip ALMOST sounds like a get-out-of-jail-free card regarding the prospect of getting that anti-weaponization fund off the table.

Fox News ran with this write-up on Wednesday, explaining Tillis' planned amendment to kill the weaponization bill:

Senate Republicans demand the Trump administration permanently kill its controversial $2B 'anti-weaponization' fund — and they're holding a massive ICE funding package hostage until they get ironclad guarantees it can never come back.

Acting AG Todd Blanche told Congress the… pic.twitter.com/ehevcj9m3n

— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) June 3, 2026

Here's the full text of that post from Fox News' Wednesday posting:

Senate Republicans demand the Trump administration permanently kill its controversial $2B 'anti-weaponization' fund — and they're holding a massive ICE funding package hostage until they get ironclad guarantees it can never come back.

Acting AG Todd Blanche told Congress the fund is dead, but multiple GOP senators say that's not enough. Sen. Thom Tillis plans to attach an amendment to the $70B reconciliation bill that would legislatively ensure the fund can never be revived.

Again, that was BEFORE both Tillis' and Cassidy's attempt to permanently kill the weaponization fund was thwarted last night as part of the ICE / Border Patrol funding bill, as I covered here:

BREAKING: President Trump Scores Major Overnight Victory in the Senate!

I can only expect that the Thom Tillis who has been willing to vote against both Ed Martin and Joe Kent previously for exactly this same reason...

Will do so again in regards to a potential Todd Blanche confirmation hearing that would otherwise see him become the new Attorney General -- as Tillis himself explained in his own words, according to this from The Hill:

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) on Sunday left the door open to not backing acting Attorney General Todd Blanche if he is nominated to the official post over his position on the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

Last month, under Blanche, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a motion to vacate the seditious conspiracy convictions of members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys groups that took part in the attack.

While Tillis said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday that he has had positive “interactions” with Blanche, his opposition to leniency for those who committed violent actions on Jan. 6 is not a “situational” position.

Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, refused to back the nominations of Ed Martin and Joe Kent to U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia and director of the National Counterterrorism Center, respectively. The two have taken softer stances on the events of Jan. 6.

“If I go back and I examine any nominee’s record, Mr. Blanche just being one of them, then I’m going to make the same decision that I made with Ed Martin and with Joe Kent,” Tillis told host Jake Tapper.

“These thugs that injured police officers and anybody who condoned their behavior will not get my vote,” Tillis later added.

If you factor in the reality that both Tillis and Cornyn have been openly against the President's anti-weaponization fund.

And combine that with their consistent rhetoric (and voting record) against anyone supportive of J6ers -- as Todd Blanche has demonstrably shown himself to be...

There is then the potential for that pair of outgoing 'Republican' Senators to make good on Tillis' promises to send Blanche the way of Ed Martin.

And that is still the $64 thousand dollar question.

As noted earlier, President Trump has indicated that he will likely nominate Blanche to the position, which will set up confirmation hearings.

We'll bring you that play-by-play as it unfolds, as it seems likely to happen sooner rather than later.