5-Hour Grilling: Blanche confronts Democrat attacks and GOP skepticism in bid to lead DOJ

 

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced an intense, five-hour grilling before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday as he sought confirmation to permanently lead the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The anticipated hearing arrived at a tumultuous moment, with Blanche navigating criticism from Democrats over his loyalty to President Donald Trump and skeptical questioning from Republican senators whose support is critical to his confirmation.

Given the current makeup of the committee, Blanche cannot afford to lose a single Republican vote on the panel to advance his nomination, analysts say.

Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s defense attorney before being tapped as Deputy Attorney General and subsequently taking over as the department’s acting head, began the session by describing his leadership as a necessary course correction. Opening the hearing, he reflected on his path to the witness table and sought to reassure lawmakers of his commitment 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 testified. “Since then, I have helped lead it, first as deputy and now as acting attorney general.”

He went on to emphasize that the DOJ is actively working to rebuild its reputation, stating, “In recent years, we watched [how] the Justice Department turned against many of you and a former president, and it damaged the public’s faith in justice. We are fixing that.”

However, Democrats on the committee repeatedly challenged him, painting Blanche’s actions as those of a personal lawyer rather than an independent chief law enforcement officer. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) confronted the nominee over structural shifts and personnel changes within the agency as well.

 

“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 said, adding, “These are some actions that in your previous confirmation hearing before us, you said you would not take.”

The most contentious line of questioning centered on the creation and subsequent withdrawal of the Trump administration’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” which was initially designed to compensate those, regardless of political leaning or ideology, who have been wronged by the previous Biden administration. This emerged from a settlement over the president’s stolen tax returns.

Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) pressed the nominee closely on the matter.

 

Blanche maintained that the fund was entirely defunct, responding, “It never started. No money went from the Treasury to any other account. There’s no commissioners. It’s not moving forward,” he reiterated.

Additionally, Cornyn focused heavily on the availability of mail-order abortion pills, applying pressure on the nominee over the DOJ’s litigation strategy.

Sen. @JohnCornyn pressed Acting AG Todd Blanche on abortion drugs today, warning that women can be harmed when these drugs are mailed or prescribed online.

His comments come as women harmed by abortion drugs urge DOJ to act, signing a letter calling on the department to settle… pic.twitter.com/BEOntQDSzX

 — SBA Pro-Life America (@sbaprolife) July 15, 2026

While Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), another crucial Republican vote, suggested he was inclined to support Blanche, he also demanded assurances that the fund could not be resurrected. Blanche responded, “Absolutely.”

Tillis continued to pressure Blanche on Republican concerns regarding the administration’s policies, though he later turned the tables on his Democrat colleagues, accusing them of absolute hypocrisy.

Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) actively defended the nominee while focusing heavily on GOP priorities, specifically election security and the Trump administration’s legal settlements.

Lee also raised concerns regarding voter registration, highlighting that many states have refused to hand over unredacted voter rolls to the DOJ, and that courts have repeatedly sided with them, which he argued makes it virtually impossible to enforce laws prohibiting noncitizen voting in federal elections.

He then pressed Blanche on whether the stalled, Trump-backed SAVE America Act would provide the DOJ with the clear authority needed to protect election security — a point on which Blanche fully agreed.

Would the SAVE America Act give the Justice Department clear authority in its efforts to protect the sanctity and security of American elections?

Todd Blanche: “Yes, absolutely.” pic.twitter.com/kAVG7zPwhD

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) July 15, 2026

Later in the hearing, following a tense exchange between Blanche and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Lee notably stepped in to read a supportive letter into the record from the Newark Police Superior Officers Association, which praised the nominee’s commitment to the rule of law and due process.

Hawley: Have you thought about investigating Jack Smith for perjury?

Blanche: We take testimony in front of this body very seriously. Yes.

Hawley: Good. I think he absolutely should be investigated. I hope that you prosecute him. pic.twitter.com/Rpy5VSOMqH

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 15, 2026

KLOBUCHAR: Do you agree that it's unacceptable for federal agents to forcibly enter someone's home without a warrant and drag them onto the street without checking that they even have the right person?

BLANCHE: Well, it depends on the circumstances. It's not a black and white… pic.twitter.com/wBMEr2u9kb

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 15, 2026

At one point, the hearing forced Blanche to defend his past private representation of the president. Facing judgment over a ruling by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, who criticized Blanche’s involvement and referred the matter to the New York Bar Association, Blanche heavily pushed back.

 

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

When asked by Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) whether Trump had ever ordered him to break the law, Blanche answered flatly, “Absolutely not”.

Additionally, tensions flared when Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) criticized Blanche over the administration’s pardons of individuals charged in the January 6^th Capitol protest, pointing to certain comments Blanche made at a political conference. Blanche grew frustrated, asserting that he has “never said that any sort of violence against law enforcement is appropriate … He [Trump] has the absolute right to pardon anybody for any reason he sees fit, I am not celebrating that. It is a fact,” Blanche declared

The DOJ’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files also drew scrutiny, particularly regarding some redaction mistakes that left a few victims’ personal details exposed. While refusing a performative request from Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to personally meet with the survivors, Blanche took responsibility for the administrative errors.

“There were mistakes that were made, and so approximately 1% of the redactions had to be fixed after we released the Epstein files,” Blanche said. Nonetheless, he maintained that the agency moved quickly to correct the issues, explaining, “Whenever we learned that any victim’s name had been improperly not redacted, we immediately took the document down and fixed it as soon as we could. That doesn’t excuse the mistakes of which I take responsibility, but it does mean that we tried to fix them.”

 NOW: Sen. Dick Durbin (D) just used Epstein victims seated at AG Todd Blanche's confirmation hearing as POLITICAL PROPS

DURBIN: Under oath within the next 30 days can you promise to hear their case?!

BLANCHE: I have NEVER said I will not meet with survivors! If they have… pic.twitter.com/eHfhQ4P7ZE

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 15, 2026

Blanche: "I want to make sure the American people know that this administration, when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, has been more transparent than any past administration, than Biden was or anybody else. We complied with the law." pic.twitter.com/bkwCLHNl5m

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 15, 2026

The hearing concluded after roughly five hours.

Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) praised the DOJ attorney general nominee, telling Blanche, “You should be very proud of your performance today.” However, following his questioning, Senator Cornyn remained uncommitted, later telling reporters, “I continue to have some concerns” and that he was “not going to make any decisions at this point.”

What Comes Next

Wednesday’s hearing was just the initial Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. For Blanche to be officially confirmed, he must first clear two major hurdles.

Committee Vote: The Senate Judiciary Committee must vote on whether to recommend his nomination to the full Senate. Due to the committee’s tight numbers, he cannot afford to lose a single Republican vote on the panel without risking a tie that could stall his nomination.

Day two of the proceedings continues on Thursday, and it will feature testimony from an outside panel of witnesses. Once the hearings conclude, the committee will typically hold a business meeting in the coming weeks to formally debate and vote on whether to send his nomination to the Senate floor.

Full Senate Vote: If the committee approves him, his nomination will head to the floor of the full Senate for a final confirmation vote.