President Donald Trump sharply criticized former ally Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, on Friday, accusing the longtime lawmaker of standing in the way of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination to permanently lead the Department of Justice.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump took aim at Cornyn over his opposition to Blanche’s confirmation, arguing the senator only changed his position after Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican Senate primary.
Cornyn is one of two Republican senators who have prevented Blanche’s nomination from advancing through the Senate Judiciary Committee. The opposition centers on the administration’s controversial $1.776 billion compensation fund intended for January 6 defendants who were prosecuted during the Biden administration.
Trump argued that Cornyn had previously raised no objections to the compensation fund and claimed the senator’s stance shifted only after Trump backed his primary challenger.
“John Cornyn never had a problem with the so called ‘Fund,’ which will not benefit me, but rather the great American Patriots who were hunted down like dogs and whose lives were unfairly and illegally destroyed by the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, until after I decided to Endorse and Support his Republican Primary opponent in Texas, who easily won the Nomination for the United States Senate,” Trump wrote.
The president defended the compensation program, describing those eligible for the payments as victims of government mistreatment. According to Trump, the individuals prosecuted in connection with the January 6 cases continue to suffer the consequences of those legal proceedings.
“They are suffering still, many ruined, and I felt that they should be given compensation for what has been done to them,” Trump wrote.
He later added, “I will always feel that these victims of government abuse should be paid back for what they were forced to endure, their lives have been ruined!”
Trump also revisited his longstanding criticism of federal law enforcement, once again asserting that government agencies had been “weaponized” against him. He pointed specifically to the FBI’s search of his Mar-a-Lago residence, describing it as an “illegal and unprecedented raid.”
The president said he had declined any personal compensation related to that investigation while arguing that Cornyn and other senators had previously condemned the probe before changing their positions after Cornyn’s defeat in the Republican primary.
“Millions of people agree with me, as was proven in my landslide Presidential win, where this was a major subject of debate, and so did John Cornyn, until he lost his Election to an opponent that I Endorsed,” Trump wrote.
Trump concluded his remarks by urging the Senate to move quickly on Blanche’s nomination, praising the acting attorney general and calling for his confirmation without further delay.
“Todd Blanche, a good man, should be immediately approved as U.S. Attorney General. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote.
The dispute highlights growing tensions between Trump and Cornyn as the Senate considers Blanche’s nomination. At the center of the disagreement is the administration’s proposed $1.776 billion compensation fund for January 6 defendants, an issue that has stalled Blanche’s confirmation in the Senate Judiciary Committee and prompted the president to publicly rebuke the Texas Republican.
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