President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia gained critical momentum Tuesday even as Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said he opposed the nomination.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) told reporters Tuesday morning in the Capitol he will support Ed Martin, Trump’s nominee for the critical position, “when” — not “if” — he comes up for a vote.
“When he comes up for a vote, I intend to support him,” Cornyn said, adding, “I tend to defer to the president on his choices.”
It wasn’t immediately clear if Cornyn was referring to a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which he is a member, or on the Senate floor. But the latter would require the former, and that is a huge boost to Martin’s nomination.
Cornyn’s commitment to support Martin is significant, as it comes as Cornyn is fending off – and according to some polls, behind – a primary challenger from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“Senator Cornyn should build upon his support signal and help Ed across the finish line as a sherpa,” a source close to the confirmation process told Breitbart News. “Trump is watching.”
Sherpa is the informal term for those assigned to guide nominees through the Senate confirmation process, usually someone with personal relationships with senators.
Martin got more momentum Tuesday morning when Sen. Josh Hawley announced he expected Martin to get confirmed.
“I think we are going to get to a vote and he is going to pass. I just don’t see how he doesn’t, to be honest with you,” Hawley told host Steve Bannon on his popular War Room podcast.
“The President made it crystal clear publicly that Ed Martin is top, top priority for him, because the District of Columbia being safe is top, top priority,” Hawley continued.
“He’s the President’s choice,” Hawley added further. “And I would just say to my fellow Republicans on the committee — listen, I’m not saying anything to you I haven’t said to them privately, personally — give this guy a shot. Meet with him, talk to him about what he’s going to do in the office, talk to the President. I think when that happens, he is going to pass the committee, I just don’t see how he doesn’t.”
Tillis met with Martin Monday night in a meeting the White House believed went well, sources tell Breitbart News.
But as Breitbart News first reported, within hours, Tillis informed Senate leadership and White House officials he was against Martin’s nomination.
The White House is continuing to work with Tillis and other senators, sources tell Breitbart News, which reported Monday before his announcement on Tillis’s critical role in ensuring Martin’s advancement through the committee.
“Ed Martin is a fantastic U.S. Attorney for D.C. and will continue to implement the President’s law-and-order agenda in Washington,” Alex Pfeiffer, Trump’s Principal Deputy Communications Director tweeted Tuesday morning after Tillis’s announcement. “He is the right man for the job and we look forward to his confirmation.”
Bradley Jaye is Deputy Political Editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter and Instagram @BradleyAJaye
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