{"id":5788,"date":"2026-07-30T23:00:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T23:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/30\/trumps-tax-immunity-scheme-hoists-president-by-his-own-petard-on-blanche-ag-nomination\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T23:00:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T23:00:49","slug":"trumps-tax-immunity-scheme-hoists-president-by-his-own-petard-on-blanche-ag-nomination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=5788","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s tax immunity scheme hoists president by his own petard on Blanche AG nomination"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"f7442187-7d4e-4cf6-a12c-585902cd0133\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a man walking\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/649ce14cf6cfe77062318d889a9fa6af1fed0442\/0_0_5592_3728\/master\/5592.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">The acting US attorney general, Todd Blanche, is seen after leaving a meeting on Capitol Hill on 29 July 2026 in Washington DC.<\/span> Photograph: Kevin Dietsch\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"f7442187-7d4e-4cf6-a12c-585902cd0133\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">The acting US attorney general, Todd Blanche, is seen after leaving a meeting on Capitol Hill on 29 July 2026 in Washington DC.<\/span> Photograph: Kevin Dietsch\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<div class=\"dcr-19hyiet\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1iguxsh\"><a href=\"\/tone\/analysis\" class=\"dcr-e5rynu\">Analysis<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Trump\u2019s tax immunity scheme hoists president by his own petard on Blanche AG nomination<\/h1>\n<div class=\"dcr-1ofjv3s\">\n<div class=\"dcr-ogy8bq\"><a rel=\"author\" data-link-name=\"auto tag link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/sam-levine\">Sam Levine<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1vosmfz\">\n<p>Republican senators sought written limits on settlement, but president held firm despite risk to attorney general pick<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/live\/2026\/jul\/30\/donald-trump-todd-blanche-irs-justice-immigration-iran-latest-news-updates\" data-link-name=\"in standfirst link\">US politics live \u2013 latest updates<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Donald Trump<\/a>\u2019s refusal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/30\/todd-blanche-attorney-general-doj-nomination-trump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">to officially end <\/a>a hugely controversial agreement giving him broad tax immunity and creating a $1.8bn slush fund underscored how the US president\u2019s own self-interest takes precedence above all else in his government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">For weeks, Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/02\/trump-weaponization-fund\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">has said<\/a> that the slush fund portion of the agreement was dead. And for a few brief hours on Wednesday, it seemed that the president might agree to a relatively modest request from two Republican senators to put in writing that there were certain limits on an extraordinary tax immunity deal. After all, it seemed like a small price to pay in exchange for getting Blanche, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/08\/who-is-todd-blanche-trump-attorney-general-pick\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a staunch Trump loyalist<\/a> who previously served as his personal lawyer, confirmed permanently as the US attorney general.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The agreement was part of a deal between Trump and the government to end a lawsuit seeking $10bn in damages for the unauthorized disclosure of the president\u2019s tax records. A federal judge overseeing the case <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/13\/trump-irs-ruling-judge-kathleen-williams\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">harshly criticized<\/a> the government earlier this month, noting the government did not make a serious attempt to defend itself in the case and it seemed to be an effort to engineer a favorable result for the president.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"85c6db33-7999-4562-9495-6e0d3067e967\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1oq85qr\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-3 | 3\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1rx5ky9\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-uyoh2p\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/29\/trump-general-motors-escalades\" class=\"dcr-f35c0u\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-vvxpdt\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6z6e7\">\n<div class=\"dcr-zh9rih\">Let them eat SUVs: Trump White House orders fleet of luxury cars as Americans struggle<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-oj13vq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-ef9nua\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">As negotiations wore into Thursday, the two Republican holdouts, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, signaled they were ready to support Blanche. \u201cIf this were just between me and Todd Blanche, we would have worked this out, but, apparently, he\u2019s getting some pushback from higher-ups at the White House. I don\u2019t know who, but it doesn\u2019t need to be this hard,\u201d Cornyn <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/em_luetkemeyer\/status\/2082836622555402467?s=20\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">said<\/a> on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cI don\u2019t know who it is \u2013 I\u2019m just trying to get them out of the way so we can get the president his AG,\u201d Tillis told Punchbowl News.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">But as reports of negotiations continued into the morning, Trump left little doubt who the one holding up the negotiations was.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cJohn Cornyn, of Texas, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, both of whom I refused to Endorse, and whose political careers have been ended by my action, are refusing to vote for this Great Nominee, who will remain, in any event, as Acting,\u201d Trump posted on Truth Social a little before noon on Thursday. \u201cRemember, both Cornyn and Tillis voted for Merrick Garland, and others, too numerous to mention. I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd\u2019s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">It was not immediately clear if a confirmation vote for Blanche was off the table. Both Cornyn and Tillis met with Blanche late on Thursday afternoon and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LauraEWeiss16\/status\/2082915855218638985?s=20\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">were reportedly<\/a> close to reaching a resolution.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In the immediate future, there is no penalty for Trump or Blanche in blowing up the negotiations. Under federal law, Blanche, who was confirmed by the Senate to be the deputy attorney general, can continue serving as the acting attorney general indefinitely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In some sense, the episode was a vindication of the power of Congress and an illustration of the immense sway even one or two Republicans can have when they push back on the president. Trump\u2019s ultimate position also underscored how unwilling he is to concede anything to political rivals \u2013 he has openly feuded with Cornyn and Tillis \u2013 even if it means sacrificing a political achievement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The White House declined to comment. \u201cRefer you to the TRUTH,\u201d a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">One does not have to look very far to understand why Trump would be unwilling to cede any ground on the agreement. One IRS audit could have cost the president $100m, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/19\/us\/politics\/trump-settlement-irs.html\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">according to the New York Times<\/a>. So it\u2019s easy to understand why Trump would want the tax provision in the agreement \u2013 which grants him, his family, and businesses or related entities immunity from audits for any matter until the agreement was reached.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Cornyn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/15\/todd-blanche-confirmation-hearing-attorney-general\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">reportedly sought<\/a> to get Blanche to put in writing the agreement that clarified the exemption only applied to the named plaintiffs in the case, exclusively applied to the IRS, and was only about past tax returns. Even under those conditions, Trump still could have benefited tremendously.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Under the settlement agreement, Trump and his sons were prohibited from making a claim on the slush fund. Blanche has been publicly adamant that the fund is not moving forward, though he conceded during his confirmation hearing that the plaintiffs in the case could theoretically try and push to enforce it. Trump\u2019s refusal to formalize the end of the fund leaves open the possibility he could try to do it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Trump also seemed to be making a gamble that any resistance to confirming Blanche would disappear after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/us-midterm-elections-2026\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">midterm elections<\/a>. Cornyn suggested on Thursday that was not going to happen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cPOTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis,\u201d he posted on X.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><em>Anna Betts contributed reporting<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/trump-administration\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-senate\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US Senate<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-congress\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US Congress<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-justice-system\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US justice system<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/analysis\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">analysis<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Trump%E2%80%99s%20tax%20immunity%20scheme%20hoists%20president%20by%20his%20own%20petard%20on%20Blanche%20AG%20nomination&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/30\/trump-refuses-to-narrow-tax-immunity-deal?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fjul%2F30%2Ftrump-refuses-to-narrow-tax-immunity-deal&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/jul\/30\/trump-refuses-to-narrow-tax-immunity-deal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The acting US attorney general, Todd Blanche, is seen after leaving a meeting on Capitol Hill on 29<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":5790,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5788"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5788\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}