Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s Confirmation Hearing

On Wednesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche underwent a demanding five-hour confirmation hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee, as he aimed to secure a permanent position leading the Department of Justice (DOJ).

This hearing came at a particularly turbulent time. Blanche had to confront criticisms from Democrats concerning his loyalty to former President Donald Trump while also navigating cautious inquiries from Republican senators crucial for his nomination success.

Analysts suggest that with the current committee configuration, Blanche must gain unanimous support from Republican members to advance his nomination.

Previously serving as Trump’s defense attorney and later as Deputy Attorney General, Blanche opened the hearing by characterizing his leadership as essential for correcting the department’s course. He recalled his journey to this moment and emphasized his dedication to the agency.

“Seventeen months ago, I sat at this table as the nominee to be the deputy attorney general, and I told you that serving in the Department of Justice was my American dream,” Blanche stated. “Since then, I have helped lead it, first as deputy and now as acting attorney general.”

Blanche further pointed out that the DOJ is committed to mending its reputation, noting, “In recent years, we watched the Justice Department turn against many of you and a former president, which harmed public trust in justice. We are working to fix that.”

However, Democrats on the committee consistently pushed back, criticizing Blanche’s actions as those of a personal lawyer rather than an independent law enforcement leader. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) questioned him about changes within the agency.

“You’re in charge of a Department of Justice I don’t recognize, prosecuting the president’s political enemies, firing rank and file prosecutors and FBI agents,” Coons remarked, adding, “These are actions you said previously that you would not take.”

The most heated exchanges revolved around an “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” created to compensate those harmed by the Biden administration and subsequently withdrawn after scrutiny, which arose from a settlement related to the president’s tax returns.

Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) pressed Blanche on this issue.

Blanche asserted that the fund was no longer active, stating, “I never started. No money went from the Treasury to any account. There are no commissioners. It’s not moving forward.”

Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a pivotal Republican vote, showed some inclination to support Blanche but required guarantees that the fund would not be revived. Blanche assured him, “Absolutely.”

The hearing also required Blanche to defend his past representation of the president. Under scrutiny for a judicial ruling by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, which criticized his involvement and mentioned it to the New York Bar Association, Blanche responded defiantly.

“I very much disagree with the judge’s insinuations about me, and we’re going to do what we can to set that right,” Blanche asserted. He emphasized the legality of Trump’s tax deal, saying, “Nobody is above the law … When we enter settlements like that, it doesn’t mean any of those individuals are above the law.”

When directly questioned by Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) about whether Trump had ever instructed him to act illegally, Blanche replied, “Absolutely not.”

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) escalated tensions by criticizing Blanche regarding the administration’s pardons linked to the January 6th Capitol protest, highlighting comments Blanche made at a political event. Blanche expressed frustration, maintaining he has “never said that any sort of violence against law enforcement is appropriate.” He added about the president’s clemency powers, “He [Trump] has the absolute right to pardon anybody for any reason he sees fit … I am not celebrating that. It is a fact.”

The handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files also faced scrutiny, particularly concerning errors that exposed some victims’ personal information. Although Blanche declined a request to personally meet with the survivors, he accepted responsibility for the mistakes.

“There were mistakes made, and about 1% of the redactions had to be corrected post-release of the Epstein files,” he remarked. Yet, he insisted that the agency acted quickly once issues were identified, saying, “Whenever we learned that any victim’s name had been improperly disclosed, we immediately corrected it. While I take responsibility for these mistakes, we did try to fix them.”

The hearing eventually wrapped after around five hours. Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) commended Blanche, stating, “You should be very proud of your performance today.” Yet, after questioning, Senator Cornyn remained undecided, mentioning, “I continue to have some concerns” and indicating he wouldn’t rush to conclusions.

What Comes Next

Wednesday’s hearing was merely the first step for the Senate Judiciary Committee. To officially confirm him, Blanche must navigate two significant challenges.

Committee Vote: The Senate Judiciary Committee needs to vote on whether to endorse his nomination to the full Senate. Due to the precarious balance within the committee, losing a single Republican vote could jeopardize his nomination.

Day two of the proceedings is set for Thursday and will include testimonies from an external panel of witnesses. After the hearings conclude, the committee typically has a business meeting in the following weeks to debate and vote on whether to present his nomination before the complete Senate.

Full Senate Vote: Should the committee endorse him, his nomination will move to the entire Senate for a final confirmation vote.