The day before Blanche's confirmation hearing, a federal judge quashed a settlement between Trump, his business and family, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The deal included immunity from future audits and the creation of a $1.7bn (£1.2bn) "anti-weaponisation fund" for people who believed they were unfairly targeted by the government.

The settlement had sparked bipartisan outrage on Capitol Hill, and senators from both parties questioned Blanche about the agreement. Republican senators, in particular, seemed to want Blanche on the record saying that the fund was truly dead.

"You have no reason to believe that the so-called weaponisation fund will continue because of the settlement, agreement, is that correct?" Senator Mike Lee, a Republican, asked Blanche.

"I am confident it will not," Blanche said.

"It should never be paid out," said another Republican senator, Thom Tillis. He pressed Blanche for an "agreed to piece of text, coming from the administration, that just renders this thing dead, gone."