Trump floats temporarily withdrawing Blanche’s AG nomination over GOP holdouts
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) attend a Finance Committee hearing on July 30, 2026, in Washington, DC. Cornyn is withholding support for President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. attorney general, Todd Blanche, until he gets reassurances on Trump’s IRS lawsuit settlement and the elimination of the “anti-weaponization fund.” (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Thursday floated the possibility of temporarily withdrawing Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general as his confirmation is being held up by two outgoing Republican senators.
“Todd Blanche is a STAR, and everyone knows it! He has the potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time. However, John 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,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
“I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office,” Trump wrote.
Earlier Thursday morning, Cornyn said there were “new complications” in the standoff.
Cornyn is demanding the Department of Justice put in writing that the nearly $1.8 billion so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is officially dead, and that the scope of President Trump’s immunity deal with the IRS be narrowed.
“I know that Todd Blanch understands it, but I think he’s probably getting some pushback from the White House, and that’s making things more complicated than there needs to be,” Cornyn told ABC News.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
: (L-R) White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Melania Trump, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Weijia Jiang attend as Mentalist Oz Pearlman hosts The White House Correspondents Dinner at Washington Hilton on April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for OP)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump will attend the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner Friday night, the White House said, after the annual dinner ended abruptly three months ago when shots rang out.
“Alongside all of you members of the media, the president looks forward to finishing what he started before a despicable assassination attempt derailed the original event back in April,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday.
The spring dinner devolved into chaos after authorities say Cole Allen opened fire inside the Washington Hilton hotel, where thousands of journalists and guests gathered for the annual celebration of the First Amendment. The president and top government officials were also in attendance.
Allen pleaded not guilty in May to charges of attempting to assassinate the president, transportation of a firearm with intent to commit a felony, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon.
Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales was shot in the incident, but the bullet struck “his protective vest and [he] continued responding to the threat,” the Secret Service said.
Sean Curran, the Secret Service director, said in a briefing on Wednesday that the agency measures worked in April and that they are preparing for Friday’s rescheduled dinner.
Friday’s dinner is taking place at a different Washington, D.C., hotel, the Waldorf Astoria on Pennsylvania Avenue.
“We will always evaluate every site and, right now, we have an advance team there and they will take back and they will set up a plan to set that site up for success just like we did at the White House correspondents’ dinner at the Hilton,” Curran said.
The White House Correspondents’ Association announced on Tuesday that it will present a special award, the President’s Award for Exceptional Service, during Friday night’s dinner to Gonzales and the staff of the Washington Hilton.
“Officer Gonzales played a significant role when he ran toward danger so that thousands of others could make it home safely,” Weijia Jiang, who presided over the April dinner as WHCA president, said in a statement. “His courage stemmed from a dedication to service, which we are looking forward to honoring this week.”
Jiang said the Hilton staff is being recognized for their “professionalism and commitment to service” by continuing to “take care of guests” after experiencing the “harrowing situation” themselves.
The shooting took place before the scheduled program that features the presentation of journalism awards, remarks from the president, and entertainment from an invited headliner. This year’s entertainer was mentalist Oz Pearlman, who will be back for the redo dinner, the association said.
The association added that it was determined “to finish the program that was interrupted.”
Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) on Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas, Texas. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — When Republican Rep. Bryon Donalds announced his campaign for Florida governor on Fox News in February 2025, he said he was “excited to have the full endorsement of President Trump,” and his campaign website described him as a “Trump-Endorsed Proven Conservative Fighter.”
This week, with Trump’s approval ratings hitting lows in the final stretch of the midterm campaign season, Donalds adjusted his website, removing several mentions of the president.
His site now features video of Donalds campaigning and appearing on stage in front of supporters with his family — with Trump’s endorsement reduced to one of several from prominent Republicans rolling across the page.
Responding to the attention to his updated site, Donalds shared an updated image of his endorsements page, saying, “I am proud to have President Trump’s endorsement.”
“While everyone is focused on our website, check out our policy proposals to make life more affordable for Floridians,” he added.
The changes, similar to other GOP candidates, come as some Republicans are taking steps to distance themselves from Trump amid voters’ frustrations with the Iran war and rising gas and diesel prices.
Donalds’ home page also no longer features a photo of Donalds and his wife posing with Trump, or a section called “On the Issues,” that says Donalds “is committed to implementing President Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda so that our state and our nation’s best days are still ahead.”
A spokesman for Donalds said the congressman is “proud” to have Trump’s endorsement. Donalds, unlike some Republicans running for re-election, appeared on stage at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas earlier this month, helping the party sell Trump and Republicans’ legislative record.
“Our campaign website reflects Byron’s focus on the issues that matter most to Floridians — affordability, insurance costs, and government transparency. He’s running to be the next Governor of Florida, is proud to have President Trump’s endorsement, and has real policy proposals to tackle those issues,” Gates McGavick told ABC News in a statement.
Gen. Chris Donahue assumed command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa in December 2024. (U.S. Army)
(WASHINGTON) — One of the Army’s most seasoned and high-profile officers is abruptly relinquishing command next week, according to the service.
Gen. Chris Donahue has spent the past 18 months leading U.S. Army Europe and Africa, the command responsible for Army operations across both continents. He will relinquish command halfway through what is normally a three-year assignment.
“Gen. Christopher Donahue, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa and commander of NATO’s Allied Land Command, will relinquish command on July 2, 2026,” an Army spokesperson said in a statement. “The Army thanks Gen. Donahue for his leadership of U.S. Army Europe and Africa.”
His departure comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presses ahead with a sweeping overhaul of the Pentagon’s senior ranks, firing or sidelining large numbers of top officers with little public explanation, including the Army’s top officer Gen. Randy George.
The command Donahue now leads is also set to be downgraded from a four-star command to a three-star post, according to another U.S. official, part of Hegseth’s broader push to shrink the number of generals across the force.
Officers serving as four-star generals are only eligible to hold a position of that rank. If there are no other slots available, then the only option left for them is to retire.
The Atlantic first reported Donahue’s expected departure.
Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral, the current commander of the Army’s III Armored Corps, is expected to be nominated to take over the role, according to a U.S. official.
Donahue’s resume includes command of the Army’s elite Delta Force and the famed 82nd Airborne Division, along with extensive combat experience across two decades of war. Inside the Army, he has long been viewed as one of its top officers and a potential future Army chief of staff.
He rose to wider public attention as the last U.S. service member to leave Afghanistan during the 2021 withdrawal, photographed in night vision boarding a C-17 when he was commanding the 82nd Airborne Division.
Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, deputy commander, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, will serve as acting commander, according to the Army.
