Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. The White House was directly involved in acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s order to formally rescind the president’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN. I mean, who wouldn’t want to get rid of a fund with a name like that? It sounds like something out of a bad action movie. Anyway, it seems that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and the director of legislative affairs, James Braid, were “deeply involved” in the process, which is just a fancy way of saying they were pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
Apparently, Blanche worked with the White House throughout the process, keeping top officials briefed on the negotiations and the key sticking points. And, of course, President Donald Trump was aware of the deal struck between Blanche and the two key holdout Senate Republicans on his nomination, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis. But, in a surprise twist, Trump claimed he didn’t personally review the deal, telling reporters in the Oval Office, “I didn’t look at it.” Sure, because that’s exactly what you want to hear from the leader of the free world – that he’s not paying attention to the details.
Now, I’m no expert, but it seems like the White House was getting a little frustrated with the senators before a deal was reached. They believed the senators were trying to exert leverage, even though privately, one White House official said, the lawmakers acknowledged that Blanche was the best fit for the position. Bless their hearts, they just wanted to get the nomination through, even if it meant giving up on the “anti-weaponization” fund.
It’s also worth noting that Trump personally continues to believe in the nearly $1.8 billion fund, but he was convinced by his top advisers that this was the only way to ensure Blanche’s nomination for attorney general would advance. You can’t make this stuff up, folks. The president wants Blanche confirmed, and he’s willing to make some concessions to get it done.
The negotiations between Blanche and the senators were quite the ordeal, with Cornyn’s chief legal counsel leading the charge. Blanche’s staff sent several versions of the memo to Cornyn’s counsel, and each time, the lawyer claimed to find loopholes that needed to be addressed. It’s like they were playing a game of legislative whack-a-mole.
In the end, Blanche published two documents to announce that a deal had been reached, including a signed memo stating that the Justice Department was formally rescinding the order that established the anti-weaponization fund. And, of course, the senators quickly confirmed their approval of the deal. It’s all very exciting, I’m sure.
But, as with all things in Washington, there’s still some question about whether the document Blanche signed was legally binding. Some attorneys inside the Justice Department have questioned whether the anti-weaponization memo is actually worth the paper it’s printed on. Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, and now we’ve got a whole story about it.
In conclusion, the whole ordeal is just another example of the absurdity that is Washington politics. The “anti-weaponization” fund is no more, and Blanche’s nomination is moving forward. And, as I always say, you can’t make this stuff up. The president didn’t review the deal, but he’s happy to take credit for it. It’s just another day in the nation’s capital, where the only thing more plentiful than the politicians is the hypocrisy. 🙄
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
