多名知情人士向美国广播公司（ABC News）透露，代理司法部长托德・布兰奇于周四下午与共和党参议员约翰・科宁、汤姆・蒂利斯举行会晤。此前，特朗普总统曾放出风声，考虑撤回布兰奇的提名。
本周科宁多次取消与布兰奇的会面，此次会晤是双方本周首次面谈。会谈结束后，目前尚不清楚谈判进展如何。
由于这两名即将卸任的共和党参议员持续抵制，特朗普提出，有可能临时撤回布兰奇出任正式司法部长的提名。
特朗普在社交平台发文称：“托德・布兰奇非常优秀，所有人都心知肚明！他有望成为史上最出色的司法部长之一。但来自得克萨斯州的约翰・科宁、北卡罗来纳州的汤姆・蒂利斯，两人我当初都拒绝为其背书，如今他们的政治生涯也因我的举措走向终结。这两位议员不愿投票支持这位杰出候选人。无论如何，布兰奇仍将继续担任代理司法部长。”
他写道：“倘若他们不能做出正确选择，我不反对临时撤回布兰奇的提名。等科宁与蒂利斯卸任之后，再重新提交提名。”
两名参议员的任期将于明年 1 月到期。今年早些时候，科宁在得克萨斯州党内初选中落败，特朗普当时支持了他的对手肯・帕克斯顿。蒂利斯去年宣布不再寻求连任，此前特朗普威胁要扶持挑战者参与党内初选。
针对特朗普的发文，科宁表示，除了他和蒂利斯，还有更多议员对布兰奇心存顾虑。
科宁在社交平台 X 上表示：“总统如果认为，大家对这份税务诉讼和解条款的担忧只限于我和蒂利斯参议员，那就错了。”
科宁要求美国司法部出具书面文件，正式宣告总额近 18 亿美元的所谓“反武器化基金” 彻底作废，同时收紧特朗普与国税局达成的豁免协议适用范围。
此前特朗普针对国税局提起 100 亿美元诉讼，双方达成和解。作为和解文件附件，时任代理司法部长的布兰奇签署条款，禁止联邦政府继续审计特朗普本人、其家族以及旗下企业此前提交的纳税申报表。
科宁在周四下午表示，他并不要求司法部直接修改和解协议文本，只是希望拿到书面文件，确认这份协议授予的税务审计豁免权，不会延伸至并未参与本次诉讼的特朗普家族关联机构。
他表示：“我们只是要求他们出具一份文件，再次确认他宣誓证词中的内容。我相信这份文件就能打消我和蒂利斯的顾虑，但司法部现在连这点要求都不愿满足。由此可见，他们并没有诚意解决分歧。”
科宁补充道：“他们不肯落实书面承诺，这让我怀疑，政府打算依靠这份和解协议与证词蒙混过关，日后伺机重启相关条款。这很难称得上是诚意谈判。”
蒂利斯表示，特朗普政府可以放手一搏，等到他与科宁任期结束，但他认为，围绕布兰奇提名一事，总统收到的建议并不妥当。
蒂利斯称：“还有 158 天，他们可以等到明年再尝试推进提名，赌一把届时参议院确认投票的形势。选择权完全在总统手中，他确实有权这么操作。”
参议院司法委员会已经推迟原定于周四举行的布兰奇司法部长提名投票。
即便撤回提名，布兰奇继续执掌司法部的现状不会受到影响，他依旧可以担任代理司法部长。
根据《联邦职位空缺改革法案》，代理官员最多可任职 210 天；但一旦正式提名被撤回，这一期限将会重新计算。
科宁认为，特朗普临时撤回提名并非明智之举。
“我不确定这只是总统的谈判手段，但这么做无法真正解决问题。即便现在撤回提名，也无法保证明年 1 月，他就能拿到足够共和党参议员的赞成票完成提名确认。” 科宁说道。
Republican holdouts meet with Blanche as his AG nomination remains in jeopardy
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met Thursday afternoon with Republican Sens． John Cornyn and Thom Tillis following President Donald Trump＇s threat to pull his nomination， sources familiar with the matter told ABC News．
It marked the first meeting the group has had this week following Cornyn＇s multiple cancellations on Blanche． It＇s not clear where the negotiations stand after the gathering．
Trump floated the possibility of temporarily withdrawing Blanche＇s nomination to permanently lead the Department of Justice because of the resistance from the 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．
Both senators＇ terms will end in January． Cornyn lost a primary battle in Texas earlier this year after Trump endorsed his opponent， Ken Paxton． Tillis announced last year he would not seek reelection after Trump threatened to field primary challengers．
Cornyn， in response to Trump＇s social media post， suggested that， in addition to him and Tillis， there are more lawmakers with ＂concerns＂ regarding Blanche．
＂POTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis，＂ Cornynwrote on X．
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 Trump＇s immunity deal with the IRS be narrowed．
As part of Trump＇s settlement with the IRS in his $10 billion lawsuit against the agency， the DOJ issued an addendum， signed by Blanche in his role as acting attorney general， that would bar the government from continuing any existing audits of tax returns filed by Trump， his family and their companies．
Cornyn said earlier Thursday afternoon that he doesn＇t need the DOJ to modify the language of the settlement， but that he wants written documentation that the settlement won＇t provide tax audit immunity that extends to affiliated organizations for Trump and his family that weren＇t part of the lawsuit．
＂We actually asked for them to produce another piece of paper， basically reconfirming his sworn testimony， and that I think would satisfy me and Tillis， but they won＇t even do that． So I don＇t think they＇re serious about resolving，＂ he argued．
＂The fact that they＇re balking at putting that in writing tells me that they were hoping to get by with this settlement agreement and his testimony， and then revitalize those provisions at a later date，＂ Cornyn added． ＂And that＇s -- I don＇t think good faith negotiations．＂
Tillis said the administration could ＂roll the dice＂ and wait out his and Cornyn＇s Senate terms， but said Trump is getting bad advice on how to proceed with Blanche＇s nomination．
＂Hey， 158 days they can try it again， roll the dice on what the Senate confirmation process looks like next year． It＇s all on him． It＇s certainly within his authority to do that，＂ Tillis said．
The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed its scheduled Thursday vote on Blanche＇s nomination for attorney general．
Withdrawing Blanche＇s nomination is a decision that would have no consequence in terms of Blanche leading the DOJ． Blanche can continue to serve as acting attorney general．
Acting department officials can serve in the role for 210 days， according to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act -- however， that resets if a nomination is withdrawn．
Cornyn said he doesn＇t think it＇s a good idea for Trump to temporarily pull Blanche＇s nomination．
＂I don’t know if it＇s just a negotiating technique on his part， but it doesn＇t really solve any problems because there＇s no guarantee he＇s going to have enough Republican votes in January to confirm him if he withdraws the nomination now，＂ Cornyn said．
