Sen. Thom Tillis (R‑N.C.) is putting a big condition on his final stretch in the Senate, warning this week that he will oppose any attorney general nominee from President Trump who, in his words, "excused" the January 6 attack. The retiring senator sits on the powerful panel that screens Justice Department nominees, so his hard line could slow down or even sink a nominee the White House would like to seat quickly.
Tillis Draws a Hard Red Line on Jan. 6
Speaking on CNN’s The Source, Tillis said, "The threshold for somebody following Pam Bondi ends the moment I hear they said one thing that excused the events of January the 6th," making clear that any hint of absolution is a deal breaker. He added that he would not support any nominee who "thought any element of Jan. 6 was excused." Local coverage from MyFox28 captured the same pointed comments.
Why His Vote Matters
Tillis sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has to sign off before a nominee can reach the full Senate. Without that blessing, an attorney general pick can stall out in committee. His official profile on Congress.gov details his Judiciary assignment, and he has already shown he is willing to use that power. He previously flexed similar leverage in a standoff over Kevin Warsh’s potential Federal Reserve nomination, according to reporting by CBS News.
Blanche in the Spotlight
All of this puts acting Attorney General Todd Blanche directly in the crosshairs. Blanche, the deputy attorney general, stepped in after Pam Bondi was pushed out and is now viewed as one of the administration’s top contenders for the job on a permanent basis. Reporting from Bloomberg Law notes that moves the Justice Department has taken early in Blanche’s tenure, including efforts to vacate certain Jan. 6 related convictions, have only increased the political risks around any confirmation try. Bondi’s firing and Blanche’s interim role were reported by Axios.
What Comes Next
The White House has not yet put forward a permanent nominee, leaving Blanche or another acting choice in charge for now. Federal vacancy rules give an acting attorney general months to run the department while the search plays out. Legal coverage notes that the Federal Vacancies Reform Act generally caps acting service at about 210 days, a clock that can be extended once a formal nomination is sent to the Senate, according to Roll Call.
Bottom Line
Tillis’s bright line on January 6 guarantees that the Capitol attack will be front and center in any attorney general confirmation battle. The White House will have to balance ideological loyalty with the brute math of Senate votes, knowing that a nominee’s record on Jan. 6 could decide their fate in a Judiciary Committee where Tillis has already staked out his boundary.
