After Blanche’s confirmation hearing was postponed late Wednesday night, Trump took to Truth Social Thursday morning to excoriate the two key holdouts on the Senate Judiciary Committee standing in the way of his personal lawyer becoming the nation’s top prosecutor: Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

Trump threatened to withdraw Blanche’s nomination until both are out of office next year.

TRUMP AG PICK BLANCHE STALLED AS KEY REPUBLICANS REFUSE TO BUDGE

“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,” Trump said. “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.”

“Remember, both Cornyn and Tillis voted for Merrick Garland, and others, too numerous to mention,” he continued. “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.”

DEMS REJECT TRUMP’S TOP SPY PICK AFTER DEMANDING REPLACEMENT, LEAVING COUNTER-TERROR TOOL IN AIR

While Trump did thwart Cornyn’s re-election bid by backing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as the Republican nominee, Tillis opted to retire on his own volition last year after raging over Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”

Cornyn shrugged off the threat almost immediately. Both he and Tillis are in pursuit of explicit, written proposals to modify the settlement deal reached between the IRS and Trump and his family earlier this year.

“POTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis,” Cornyn said on X.

DOZEN GOP REBELS FAIL TO PERMANENTLY KILL TRUMP’S CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND

Their resistance and demands caused Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to postpone Blanche’s confirmation hearing scheduled for Thursday morning. Without their support, he wouldn’t be able to make it to the Senate floor.

Negotiations are still ongoing, but so far, the duo have not gotten specifically what they want to permanently kill the now-defunct, nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund and a rewrite of Trump’s audit immunity baked into the settlement deal.

Meanwhile, there’s no guarantee that the Senate would be more accepting of Blanche next year, either, given that Republicans have more seats in danger than Senate Democrats.

Trump could leave Blanche as acting attorney general for some time, similar to how former President Joe Biden left former acting Labor Secretary Julie Su in the role from 2023 to the end of his presidency.

“What if all cockroaches come together?” was the question that humbled India’s strongman prime minister, Narendra Modi. It was posted on X by Abhijeet Dipke, an Indian student in the US with a master’s in public relations. Enraged that India’s top judge likened unemployed youths to insects and “parasites”, and that millions saw medical exams compromised by leaks, Mr Dipke lit a fuse. For India’s nearly 400 million gen Z, public exams are often the only ladder to a secure future. When papers leak or tests are cancelled, that ladder is kicked away. By June, young people were protesting peacefully in Delhi as the Cockroach Janta party (CJP), a parody of Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP). They demanded the resignation of the education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan.

This weekend, Mr Pradhan became the first senior minister in Mr Modi’s 12 years in power to be forced from office by a mass-protest movement. It came after credible reports suggested police officers attacked protesters marching to parliament. Security sources say it was they who were attacked. This may be just the beginning. The concession has taught the Cockroach movement’s leadership that pressure works. They could have declared victory and gone home. Instead they have accused the government of breaching the terms of the settlement offered by Mr Modi’s government. The CJP claims at least 100 people have been arrested, many on non-bailable charges. Its leaders are now demanding the release of detainees and threatening to remobilise nationally.

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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is spearheading an effort to pass elements of the election integrity bill through the budget reconciliation process, which would sidestep the need for Democratic support in the Senate in order to get the bill to Trump’s desk.

The legislation would also add some $73 billion in national security spending as the war between the U.S. and Iran continues after multiple stalled attempts at peace talks.

GOP’S $95B DEFENSE PACKAGE SURVIVES CRITICAL HURDLE AMID FISCAL HAWK REVOLT

“The fact that there is no payfor and no language defunding Planned Parenthood is enough for me to vote no,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital on Monday. “I am open to a dialogue with the administration on how we can ensure that the SAVE language is solid and what we might be able to do with stopping abortions by mail.”

Trump took to Truth Social to personally thank Johnson and House Budget Committee members for their work cobbling together the new reconciliation bill, which would include $95 billion in new government spending through 2036.

“I am asking all House Republicans to VOTE YES this week on the Budget Resolution, which is an important first step towards getting a Budget Bill. House Republicans must UNIFY, and fight for THE SAVE AMERICA ACT!” Trump posted.

GOP CIVIL WAR ERUPTS OVER TRUMP’S LATEST AGENDA PUSH AS KEY REPUBLICANS THREATEN TO SINK MEGABILL

He argued the legislation would “get AS MUCH of THE SAVE AMERICA ACT as possible in a Budget Bill, along with aid to our incredible Farmers, and funding for our Military.”

The bill, which was rolled out last week, is known as a budget “framework” setting rules for how much money the relevant congressional committees must spend. The details of exactly where the money will go will be determined in the coming weeks by lawmakers on those committees, before those details are patched back together into a massive piece of legislation.

But the framework does not currently have any spending cuts written into it, which immediately raised alarms for conservatives who are wary of additional government spending without cuts to offset it, also called payfors.

JOHNSON RACES TO BREAK HOUSE GOP BLOCKADE IN HIGH-STAKES MEETING WITH TRUMP

Reps. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital they were both concerned about the lack of payfors before Trump’s post but left the door open on whether they would ultimately support the bill.

Burchett predicted the legislation would be sent to the Senate, where SAVE America Act elements would be stripped from the bill before it is returned to the House.

“Then I’ll probably vote no,” he added afterward. He did not immediately answer a follow-up question about whether he supports the original iteration of the bill.

A source familiar with thinking by the conservative House Freedom Caucus left the door open to the group backing the budget framework, but with the caveat that the full SAVE America Act is included in the final legislation.

“The SAVE America Act is our top priority — the president wants it done. Mandatory voter ID and proof of citizenship through reconciliation would be a game-changer for this country. But any watered-down version that makes SAVE policies optional? There will be issues,” the source told Fox News Digital.

A senior House GOP aide said, “We can’t spend years warning about our fiscal crisis and then abandon payfors the moment they’re politically inconvenient. Americans are tired of the all-hat, no-cattle approach to fiscal responsibility.”

But some House Freedom Caucus members are supportive of the chosen path, like Budget Committee member Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., who told Fox News Digital, “As a fiscal hawk I understand the apprehension of not having a clear payfor in sight, but as an American, I know it is even more irresponsible to have business as usual elections without the security the SAVE America Act will create.”

The SAVE America Act — which would create a federal voter ID standard and mandate proof of citizenship in the voter registration process, among other elements — passed the House but has stalled in the Senate, where at least some Democrats would be needed to advance the bill to final passage.

Democrats have argued the bill is tantamount to voter suppression.

House GOP leaders are now pushing to pass elements of the SAVE America Act in the wider reconciliation bill to sidestep that opposition. Budget reconciliation only requires a simple majority to pass in the Senate, lining it up with the House’s own threshold.

But that comes with strict rules on what is permissible to include in a budget reconciliation bill, which has traditionally been left up to the discretion of the Senate parliamentarian — a nonpartisan congressional staffer tasked with making those decisions based on the chamber’s existing rules.

The rebellion, including several dozen Republicans, has repeatedly forced House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to pull votes on key legislation, grinding House business to a halt just months before the November midterm elections. 

Conservatives say they’re blocking procedural votes until the Senate passes the stalled SAVE America Act and House GOP leadership allows a vote on sweeping border security legislation. 

Neither demand appears close to being met amid GOP divisions, raising questions about whether Johnson can advance any major legislation this week.

TRUMP-ALIGNED HOUSE HOLDOUTS ACCUSED OF HOLDING ‘LIFE-SAVING’ VETERANS BILL ‘HOSTAGE’ OVER SAVE AMERICA ACT

Vice President JD Vance had planned to attend Republicans’ conference meeting on Tuesday but postponed the visit to a later date, Politico first reported. Vance’s canceled appearance comes as House Republican leadership appeared to enlist the White House’s help to help end a conservative revolt that has effectively brought the floor to a standstill.

Trump also previously urged conservative rebels to reopen the House floor and stop “grandstanding,” but the cohort did not relent.

Johnson is racing this week to advance an annual government spending bill funding the State Department and a measure making Daylight Saving Time permanent — long a priority of President Donald Trump. Given the latter item’s popularity in the Sunshine State, leadership is likely hoping Luna will stand down and support a procedural vote scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

A spokesperson for Luna did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether the congresswoman would support the procedural rule advancing a slate of legislative items.

In another sign of trouble for GOP leadership, some holdouts criticized Johnson’s legislative agenda for the week.

“Making Daylight Saving Time permanent won’t matter at all if we don’t have election integrity,” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, wrote on social media Monday. “Priorities.”

Republicans are not expected to bring the annual defense policy bill — known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — up for consideration again this week after holdouts in June torpedoed a procedural vote advancing the legislation.

Johnson initially proposed combining the NDAA with the SAVE America Act, but holdouts, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., argued it was inadequate because there was no guarantee the Senate would keep the election security measure in the final product.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES DERAIL GOP AGENDA IN SAVE AMERICA ACT SHOWDOWN

Luna is now advocating for House leadership to fight for the SAVE America Act’s inclusion in a compromise NDAA bill negotiated between the House and Senate. 

“A Manager’s Amendment from the Chairwoman of the Rules Committee can force this in once the Senate sends us their version,” Luna wrote on social media last week.

However, Senate Republicans have repeatedly argued the votes do not exist in their chamber to pass the Trump-backed election bill, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and voter ID requirements, among other priorities.

Still, some conservatives are advocating for adding the election measure to any legislation that passes the House chamber in an effort to force Senate action.

“The SAVE America Act must be attached to every piece of legislation until we secure our elections once and for all,” Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, wrote on social media. “Protecting the integrity of our elections isn’t optional.”

Johnson appeared to heed that demand by using a rare procedural maneuver that would merge the SAVE America Act with the State Department funding bill when it’s sent to the Senate after House passage.

A group of House conservatives are also pressing GOP leadership for a vote on border security legislation known as the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act.

The bill, authored by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, mirrors legislation known as H.R. 2 that passed Congress in 2023, but omits E-Verify program changes that threatened to kill support from moderate Republicans for the bill.

E-Verify would require certain U.S. employers to electronically confirm their employees’ work authorization.

Roy is among members of the House Freedom Caucus that have withheld support for procedural votes in an attempt to pressure leadership to bring the border legislation to a vote on the floor.

His bill would require the completion of border wall construction, tight asylum requirements and prohibiting catch-and-release policies, among other provisions.

The rebellion, including several dozen Republicans, has repeatedly forced House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to pull votes on key legislation, grinding House business to a halt just months before the November midterm elections. 

Conservatives say they’re blocking procedural votes until the Senate passes the stalled SAVE America Act and House GOP leadership allows a vote on sweeping border security legislation. 

Neither demand appears close to being met amid GOP divisions, raising questions about whether Johnson can advance any major legislation this week.

TRUMP-ALIGNED HOUSE HOLDOUTS ACCUSED OF HOLDING ‘LIFE-SAVING’ VETERANS BILL ‘HOSTAGE’ OVER SAVE AMERICA ACT

Vice President JD Vance had planned to attend Republicans’ conference meeting on Tuesday but postponed the visit to a later date, Politico first reported. Vance’s canceled appearance comes as House Republican leadership appeared to enlist the White House’s help to help end a conservative revolt that has effectively brought the floor to a standstill.

Trump also previously urged conservative rebels to reopen the House floor and stop “grandstanding,” but the cohort did not relent.

Johnson is racing this week to advance an annual government spending bill funding the State Department and a measure making Daylight Saving Time permanent — long a priority of President Donald Trump. Given the latter item’s popularity in the Sunshine State, leadership is likely hoping Luna will stand down and support a procedural vote scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

A spokesperson for Luna did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether the congresswoman would support the procedural rule advancing a slate of legislative items.

In another sign of trouble for GOP leadership, some holdouts criticized Johnson’s legislative agenda for the week.

“Making Daylight Saving Time permanent won’t matter at all if we don’t have election integrity,” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, wrote on social media Monday. “Priorities.”

Republicans are not expected to bring the annual defense policy bill — known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — up for consideration again this week after holdouts in June torpedoed a procedural vote advancing the legislation.

Johnson initially proposed combining the NDAA with the SAVE America Act, but holdouts, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., argued it was inadequate because there was no guarantee the Senate would keep the election security measure in the final product.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES DERAIL GOP AGENDA IN SAVE AMERICA ACT SHOWDOWN

Luna is now advocating for House leadership to fight for the SAVE America Act’s inclusion in a compromise NDAA bill negotiated between the House and Senate. 

“A Manager’s Amendment from the Chairwoman of the Rules Committee can force this in once the Senate sends us their version,” Luna wrote on social media last week.

However, Senate Republicans have repeatedly argued the votes do not exist in their chamber to pass the Trump-backed election bill, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and voter ID requirements, among other priorities.

Still, some conservatives are advocating for adding the election measure to any legislation that passes the House chamber in an effort to force Senate action.

“The SAVE America Act must be attached to every piece of legislation until we secure our elections once and for all,” Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, wrote on social media. “Protecting the integrity of our elections isn’t optional.”

Johnson appeared to heed that demand by using a rare procedural maneuver that would merge the SAVE America Act with the State Department funding bill when it’s sent to the Senate after House passage.

A group of House conservatives are also pressing GOP leadership for a vote on border security legislation known as the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act.

The bill, authored by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, mirrors legislation known as H.R. 2 that passed Congress in 2023, but omits E-Verify program changes that threatened to kill support from moderate Republicans for the bill.

E-Verify would require certain U.S. employers to electronically confirm their employees’ work authorization.

Roy is among members of the House Freedom Caucus that have withheld support for procedural votes in an attempt to pressure leadership to bring the border legislation to a vote on the floor.

His bill would require the completion of border wall construction, tight asylum requirements and prohibiting catch-and-release policies, among other provisions.