Merrick Garland tried to put Donald Trump in prison before the 2024 election.
Now the two Republican senators who confirmed him are posturing as guardians against DOJ weaponization.
What these two senators actually want from the White House has nothing to do with the DOJ.
The Senators Who Voted for Merrick Garland Now Blocking Todd Blanche Confirmation
John Cornyn and Thom Tillis – the two Republican senators holding up Todd Blanche's confirmation as attorney general – have formally announced their concern about the Trump DOJ becoming weaponized.
Their voting records make that concern difficult to take seriously.
Both senators voted for Merrick Garland as attorney general.
Under Garland's watch, the DOJ launched two federal criminal prosecutions of Trump, sicced federal agents on pro-life Catholics at their homes, sent a SWAT team to arrest a peaceful protester outside an abortion clinic, and targeted parents who showed up at school board meetings to object to racial indoctrination and mask mandates.
Both senators also voted for Antony Blinken as secretary of state – the man who orchestrated the intelligence letter that falsely branded the Hunter Biden laptop a Russian disinformation operation, suppressing the story 19 days before the 2020 election.
Pete Buttigieg abandoned East Palestine, Ohio, after a toxic train derailment left residents breathing poison – and both senators put him in that job. Janet Yellen ignored every warning sign as Democrats spent the country toward historic inflation – they confirmed her too.
Miguel Cardona ran the Education Department like an activist organization, and Cornyn and Tillis handed him the keys.
Cornyn went further.
The Texas senator voted to confirm James Comey as FBI director – the man who engineered the Intelligence Community Assessment that gave the Russia collusion hoax official government standing.
Cornyn also voted to confirm D.C. District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg, who has spent years issuing orders against Trump's agenda and who signed off on Jack Smith's effort to seize Republican members of Congress's phone records without their knowledge.
And Hillary Clinton as secretary of state – Cornyn voted for her too. Clinton bankrolled the Steele dossier, drove the Russia collusion narrative from the start, and spent years working to destroy the man Cornyn now claims to support.
Cornyn and Tillis Lost Their Seats and Now Hold the Senate Judiciary Committee Vote
Trump called Cornyn "VERY disloyal" and endorsed Ken Paxton to replace him. Paxton won by more than 25 points – making Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas in history to lose his own primary.
Tillis isn't running for reelection in North Carolina. Neither man faces a single consequence from voters again.
That context matters when reading their stated reasons for holding up Blanche. Cornyn claims he's worried about a $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund – created as part of a settlement over Democrats' illegal leaking of Trump's tax returns.
Blanche rescinded the fund document and testified under oath that it is dead. He has also committed in writing to working with senators on legislation that would permanently eliminate it. Cornyn's response, caught on camera at the hearing: "Well, does he want to get confirmed or not?"
That's not principle. That's a man with nothing left to lose using the last leverage he'll ever have.
Tillis moved toward yes after Blanche agreed to meet with Epstein survivors – a reasonable ask, given the DOJ's handling of victim name redactions in the file releases. Cornyn remains the holdout, with the White House now negotiating directly with his staff ahead of the July 30 committee vote.
The committee splits 12-10 along party lines. One Republican no vote kills Blanche's nomination before it ever reaches the Senate floor. Cornyn knows exactly what he's holding.
The Voting Record on DOJ Weaponization Speaks for Itself
Cornyn and Tillis want credit for standing against a weaponized DOJ. Blanche rescinded the fund, testified under oath, met with Epstein survivors, and put his commitment to eliminate the weaponization fund permanently into writing.
The two senators blocking him confirmed Merrick Garland, put James Comey in charge of the FBI, and voted for the Obama-appointed judges who have spent the past two years blocking Trump's immigration enforcement in federal court.
Whatever either man says about weaponization next, remember where they were when it counted.
Sources:
- Shawn Fleetwood, "Cornyn, Tillis Drag Their Feet On Blanche Nomination After Voting For Obama, Biden Appointees," The Federalist, July 24, 2026.
- "Todd Blanche faces lingering GOP holdouts for AG post," Washington Examiner, July 21, 2026.
- "Thom Tillis conditions Blanche vote on meeting with Epstein victims," Washington Examiner, July 16, 2026.
- "Blanche hearing tests GOP support before Senate vote," Washington Examiner, July 14, 2026.