Two Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, have withheld support for Todd Blanche’s nomination to become US attorney general, delaying a planned Senate Judiciary Committee vote. Their stance illustrates the influence of the informal “YOLO Caucus” — Republicans with less electoral pressure who have shown greater willingness to challenge President Trump — and could prevent his nominee reaching a full Senate vote before recess.

Cornyn and Tillis want written assurances over a Justice Department settlement involving Trump’s dispute with the Internal Revenue Service, including the removal of a proposed $1.776 billion “anti-weaponisation” fund and limits on tax-audit protections. Both sit on the Judiciary Committee, where Democrats are expected to oppose Blanche, making Republican defections decisive; Cornyn has lost his primary contest, while Tillis is retiring.