Trump pulling Blanche means he's expecting $100 million 'windfall': expert

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 27, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci

President Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, acting attorney general Todd Blanche, had his nomination withdrawn on Thursday — and a legal expert argues this proves Trump plans on continuing an act of self-dealing that would net millions upon millions for Trump and his supporters.

“Trump would rather pull Blanche’s nomination for AG than allow him to commit in writing that Trump’s IRS deal is off,” former US attorney Barb McQuade posted on X on Thursday. “The immunity Blanche granted to Trump from IRS audits is a windfall that some experts estimate is worth $100 million in taxpayer funds for Trump.”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), a powerful senator and usual Trump supporter, had earlier asked Blanche if he had a copy of the settlement agreement regarding the $1.776 billion fund. The fund was settled between Trump and the IRS he controls, as negotiated by the Justice Department he also controls, based on his lawsuit blaming the IRS for leaking his tax returns, litigation scholars overwhelmingly agreed was frivolous. The agreement also promised to give the money to Trump supporters who claimed they were wronged by the government, while Trump himself would receive protection from future audits for himself and his family.

"This settlement agreement can be modified, may be modified only upon the written agreement of the parties,” the settlement agreement read, as recited by Blanche to Cornyn. “Has there been a written agreement of the parties to modify the settlement fund?"

Blanche replied that because the fund was not going forward, there was no need to modify it.

"Well, so the settlement agreement remains as it was originally,” Cornyn said. “But I hear what you're saying is it — is the settlement agreement enforceable as a contract by the parties?"

Blanche admitted that the settlement agreement remains an "enforceable document."

Speaking to AlterNet about the fund in June, potential slush fund applicant Sam Nunberg elaborated on why he was considering applying.

“I certainly think that the [former special counsel Robert] Mueller investigation, at a minimum, everyone who was either investigated or a witness should be compensated, because that investigation never should have been initiated,” Nunberg said.

He added, “I don't necessarily fault the rank-and-file staff, but once they opened that investigation, it was really — any association with Donald J. Trump meant you were going to have to hire a white-collar attorney.” He also claimed that because of the investigations into Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign he was forced “to inform my clients, as a fiduciary duty, that I've been called into the investigation. Things like that. I thought it was extremely unfair. It was arbitrary. It didn't have to be started.”

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