The Trump administration is lobbying Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas in a bid to salvage attorney general nominee Todd Blanche's confirmation as the two outgoing Republicans withhold support over concerns about a controversial Justice Department settlement tied to President Donald Trump, Politico reported Tuesday.

With Republicans holding only a narrow margin on the Senate Judiciary Committee, a single GOP defection could derail Blanche's nomination before it reaches the Senate floor, giving Tillis and Cornyn unusual leverage despite both having fallen out of favor with Trump in recent months.

The administration has been in direct contact with aides to both senators in an effort to address their concerns, according to the lawmakers and a White House official.

"The administration continues to have active conversations with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee," a White House official said Monday.

Cornyn, who lost his Republican primary to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after Trump endorsed his challenger, made clear he intends to use his newfound leverage.

"Well, does he want to get confirmed or not?" Cornyn said when asked whether Blanche would have to make concessions to secure his vote.

At the center of the dispute is a settlement Blanche negotiated while serving as deputy attorney general that included provisions shielding Trump and his family from IRS audits and creating a proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund." Critics argue the fund could become a slush fund benefiting Trump's political allies.

Cornyn said negotiations with the administration are focused on ensuring those provisions cannot be revived.

"Those are the issues we're continuing to discuss with the administration to see whether we can get a modification of the settlement agreement," he said.

Although Blanche has repeatedly insisted the fund is effectively dead after bipartisan criticism, Cornyn has argued that without changes to the settlement, it could theoretically be resurrected through future litigation.

Tillis has voiced similar concerns and said Justice Department officials have been working closely with his staff, Politico reported.

"I know my staff have been in touch almost, probably, daily," Tillis said. "So they are acting. I mean, they're following up in good faith."

Neither senator specified what form any agreement might take. Cornyn suggested rewriting the settlement through legislation would be difficult, while Tillis has floated narrowly tailored legislation that could permanently eliminate the fund through unanimous Senate consent.

"I have to be convinced that there is no way that it could actually ever be resurrected again," Tillis said. "Which is exactly why I talked about the legislation... that [Blanche] offered to help write the technical language for."

Blanche has already satisfied another demand from Tillis by meeting with victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein following criticism over the Justice Department's handling of documents related to the case, which inadvertently exposed victims' identities.

Still, Tillis said he wants additional information about any commitments Blanche made regarding investigations into Epstein's associates.

In written responses to senators released Monday, Blanche reiterated that the anti-weaponization fund "is dead," but declined to answer hypothetical questions about whether he would revive it if directed by Trump.

"It would be inappropriate for me to comment on hypothetical communications I may or may not have with the president," Blanche wrote.

However, Blanche pledged to work with senators on legislation that would permanently eliminate the fund, answering "Yes" when asked whether he would help develop such language.

Signs emerged Monday that Tillis may ultimately back the nomination. One person familiar with the confirmation effort said, "Tillis, we think, is squared away."

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley also expressed optimism after hearing what he described as "favorable comments over the weekend from Tillis."

Grassley, an Iowa Republican, declined to assess Cornyn's position, however.

Republican leaders hope the Judiciary Committee will vote on Blanche's nomination July 30, allowing the full Senate to consider confirmation during the first week of August before lawmakers depart for their monthlong summer recess.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he believes committee leaders are working to keep that timetable on track.

"I think they're hopeful," Thune said. "At this point, I'm not certain."