Sen. Thom Tillis says he has a “positive predisposition” toward acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination

Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said he has a “positive predisposition” toward acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who President Donald Trump has nominated for the full-time attorney general post, as the Senate prepares for the next steps in the confirmation process. Tillis, a Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made the comments Sunday during an appearance with ABC host Jake Tapper, according to The Hill.

Tillis said, “I’m going to go through the nomination process,” adding, “I have got a positive predisposition towards Blanche.” The remarks framed his approach as procedural and committee-focused, with the senator indicating he plans to evaluate Blanche as the Senate reviews the nomination rather than dismissing it out of hand.

Blanche is currently serving as acting attorney general, a role that follows a period in which the department’s leadership operates under temporary authority while permanent confirmation is pending. Tillis’s statement places the nomination within the Senate’s standard confirmation pathway, where senators conduct questions, committee review, and floor consideration.

The Senate Judiciary Committee plays a central role in the attorney general confirmation timeline, conducting hearings and assembling recommendations for the full Senate. As a member of that committee, Tillis’s position is likely to be among the factors shaping the tone of committee questioning and the way senators describe their readiness to move to the next stage of the process.

Tillis’s comment also reflects the broader pattern of how senators describe their early posture on nominees, often balancing personal views about a nominee’s qualifications with an acknowledgement that the constitutional and legislative steps must still be completed. The senator did not, in the account of his remarks, tie his predisposition to specific policy outcomes or an anticipated timetable for committee action.

At the same time, the attorney general post carries practical responsibilities that extend beyond confirmation hearings, including oversight of federal law enforcement policy and the Justice Department’s legal positions in court. The nomination process, by turning an acting role into a confirmed appointment, determines when the Senate is willing to authorize a permanent leadership structure at the department.

As the Judiciary Committee and the full Senate move through the attorney general nomination process, senators are expected to weigh statutory requirements, department management issues, and legal accountability. Tillis’s stated “positive predisposition” indicates at least one Republican senator is prepared to engage substantively with the nominee through the formal review steps.