Transcription
THE HISTORY OF LYING IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEES IS A SHORT ONE. It does not even include the two criminal attorneys general who Richard Nixon appointed. They lied and committed crimes after because ATTORNEY GENERAL, NOT DURING THEIR CONFIRMATION HEARINGS.
BUT THE HISTORY OF LYING IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES include only Trump nominees. Todd Blanche had one of his lies skillfully exposed by a senator's questions. Todd Blanche, under oath, told the Senate Judiciary Committee, quote, "The weaponization fund is dead." That's the word he used. Dead. Turns out it's Is the settlement agreement enforceable as a contract by the parties? Well, yes, it's an enforceable document. So I suppose if President Trump's counsel sought to enforce REFORCE IT. THEY POTENTIALLY COULD. UP TO THAT POINT, RIGHT there.
Todd Blanche planned to get through his confirmation hearing on the lie that a document that he wrote and signed was dead. But then Senator John Senator Cornyn showed just how alive it is and now Senator Cornyn is refusing to vote for Todd Blanche's confirmation because Todd Blanche is refusing to put in writing a new document that negates the one-page document in which Todd Blanche, all by himself, with only his signature, created a $1.776 billion fund of American taxpayer money, to pay criminals who attacked the Capitol for Donald Trump and tried to kill the vice president for Donald Trump.
But the longest portion, actually if you leave that document up on the screen, You will see that the longest portion of this document is the part that forever protects Donald Trump from any prosecution, for any tax crimes that he may have already committed. And it seemed very clear tonight that that is now and always has been the most important part of that document for Donald Trump, the longest part, the part that protects him from criminal tax prosecutions. Todd Blanche put in writing, quote, "The United States releases waves, acquits and forever discharges each of the plaintiffs from and is hereby forever barred and precluded from prosecuting or pursuing any matters currently pending or that could be pending, including tax returns filed before the effective date."
This massive amnesty for tax crimes was written to apply to Donald Trump, and And every member of Donald Trump's family, meaning his children and their wives and ex-wives and his grandchildren and his nieces and nephews and anyone in business with Donald Trump, including, quote, "related companies, affiliates, and subsidiaries." This could be hundreds if not thousands of people. If Todd Blanch could simply prove to the Senate in writing that the document is now legally void and has no meaning. He could win confirmation in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and then probably win the Senate confirmation on the Senate floor, when the full Senate votes. That's all it takes. Just make that piece of paper go away and Todd Blanch could be confirmed, and Donald Trump simply won't do it.
Here is how Senator Cornyn doesn't care about, what has to be remembered is Senator Cornyn doesn't care about all of the rest of Todd Blanche's transgressions as Attorney General. He just doesn't care. He doesn't care about Todd Blanche trying to prosecute James Comey for posting a photograph of seashells. He doesn't care about Todd Blanche trying to prosecute United States Senator for simply saying what the military code of justice is, saying that publicly. John Cornyn is not taking some strong principle stand on the high ethical standards and legal standards he requires to vote, to confirm an attorney general. He is setting an unbelievably low bar. John Senator Cornyn is just taking a stand against that one piece of paper.
And here's how Senator Cornyn's day began at 9:06 a.m. today. Senator Cornyn, Senator Cornyn do is get to get mr. Blanche to conform the settlement documents in the tax lawsuit to where this sworn testimony was in the hearing and I'd be satisfied with that. But I don't know, somebody somewhere, I don't know whether it's the White House or somebody works there or somebody works for the president is basically telling him don't agree to those terms and so we're kind of back to square one. Somebody, somebody who works for the president? Who could that be? So let me get this straight. Senator Cornyn, you're actually trying to publicly pretend someone who works for the president is insisting on the tax amnesty for Donald Trump and everyone around him. It could not be more obvious that the person who is refusing to kill this document is DONALD TRUMP IS THE BENEFICIARY OF THIS DOCUMENT, DONALD TRUMP. I AM PREPARED TO VOTE NO, BUT I DO THINK I OWE IT TO MY CONSTITUENTS AND TO MR. BLANCH TO TRY TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN.
And at 9:00 a.m., REPUBLICAN SENATOR TOM TILLIS WHO WAS ALSO REFUSING TO VOTE FOR TODD BLANCH UNLESS THE TRUMP SLUSH FUND AND TAX AMNESTY IS ELIMINATED SAID I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S THE PRESIDENT. OH, WELL, WOW. What pay grade could it possibly be? That is the typically timid nonsense that you get from Tom Tillis when he is doing his version, his tiny weak version of standing up to Donald Trump, if you can call it that. Quote, "I don't believe it's the president." There is no conceivable reason not to believe it is the president. But Tom Tillis is still afraid of saying that.
John Corrin and Tom Tillis got their answer from Donald Trump on social HE IS NOT WILLING TO CHANGE A SINGLE WORD IN THIS DOCUMENT, ESPECIALLY THE LONGEST PART OF IT, GRANTING HIM AND HIS family, full and complete amnesty. Basically criminal pardons for any tax crimes that they may have already committed. Donald Trump posted on social media the lie that Todd Blanche is a a star. That's how he began it. Todd Blanche was a star. It was one of those demented Trump social media posts filled with strange capitalizations of random words and random letters attacking Senator Cornyn, Senator Tillis, because they're both refusing to vote for Todd Blanche until Donald Trump's slush fund and tax amnesty deal is dead.
And in that social media post, Donald Trump did what a president who's actually really fighting for a troubled nominee absolutely never does. Donald Trump said, "I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd's name if they do not do the right thing." Once a president openly discusses even the possibility of withdrawing a nominee, it becomes virtually impossible to build support for that nominee.
Senator Cornyn revealed what might be the most important part of the dynamic of Republican Senate resistance to Donald Trump on Todd Blanche's nomination when he replied to Donald Trump's social media post at 11:32 a.m. saying, quote, "POTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis." So imagine if you are Susan Collins, and you are running for re-election in Maine, and the new Senate nominee, Democratic nominee in May, Troy Jackson, is running ahead of you, Susan Collins, in the polls. How eager are you, Susan Collins, to vote for Todd Blanche for Attorney General? How glad are you, you, Susan Collins, to have Senator Cornyn protecting you from having to cast that vote for or against Todd Blanche. How many other Republican senators running for reelection are eager to vote for Todd Blanche? How many of them desperately need the protection they are getting right now from Senator Cornyn and Senator Tillis? FUND THAT TRUMP ABSOLUTELY REFUSES TO LET BLANCH SIGN THE DOCUMENT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY KILL IT. I THINK THERE ARE OTHER REPUBLICANS WEIGHING IN WITH THE WHITE HOUSE SAYING YOU HAVE GOT TO KILL THIS Weaponization Fund.
And so tonight we know that Donald Trump's self-pardon for possible tax crimes and his pardon for every single member of his family, an extended family for tax crimes and all of his business associates is more important to him, much, much, much more important to him than having a Senate-confirmed Attorney General of the United States. And Donald Trump has now made Todd Blanche a Senate campaign issue in Maine, in North Carolina, where the Democratic nominee for Senate is polling ahead of the Republican nominee and in Texas, where the Democratic nominee is polling ahead of the Republican nominee. Donald Trump is counting, according to his social media post, of getting two new Republican senators in North Carolina and Texas to vote for Todd Blanche next year if they're elected to the United States Senate.
Donald Trump knows tonight that there is a very strong chance that both Tom Tillis and John Cornyn will be replaced in the United States Senate by Democrats who will not vote for Todd Blanche. Donald Trump knows tonight that there is a very strong chance that the Democrats will win control of the United States Senate, and that will make Todd Blanche's confirmation impossible. And that's okay with Donald Trump. He's happy to take that bet. That is a very small price for Donald Trump to pay to preserve his self-pardon for any tax crimes he may have already committed.