Todd Blanche’s loyalty to Trump questioned in Senate confirmation hearing
Blanche’s actions have raised questions about the independence of the Department of Justice, which he currently leads. A United States Senate panel has begun grilling
Blanche’s actions have raised questions about the independence of the Department of Justice, which he currently leads. A United States Senate panel has begun grilling interim Attorney General Todd Blanche as he seeks confirmation to lead the Department of Justice, the country’s main federal law enforcement agency. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold two days of questions with Blanche on Wednesday and Thursday. Looming large over the hearings will be scrutiny about Blanche’s loyalty to President Donald Trump and whether he will protect the independence of the Department of Justice. But in his opening statement on Wednesday, Blanche attempted to head off those concerns, claiming instead he was fixing what was previously wrong with the department. “We are restoring American trust,” Blanche said. Prior to joining Trump’s second administration, Blanche served as the Republican leader’s personal lawyer. Blanche represented him in cases including a New York state trial that resulted in Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. In March 2025, he was confirmed as deputy attorney general, before the April resignation of Pam Bondi resulted in his appointment as acting attorney general. But while Blanche has faced Senate scrutiny before, this round of questions is set to be more intense than what he faced last year. Blanche is likely to face questions about his efforts to prosecute several of Trump’s political rivals and critics, including James Comey, a former director of the FBI.
In May, Blanche also oversaw a controversial civil settlement in a lawsuit lodged by the president against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that shielded Trump and his family from future tax investigations. Blanche has also taken a central role in the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which chronicle the federal government’s investigation into the convicted sex offender. Critics have questioned whether members of the Trump administration have attempted to shield powerful figures through excessive or inconsistent redactions in the published files. Trump himself had a previous relationship with Epstein. Nevertheless, Blanche made little mention of his relationship to Trump during his opening statement, saying only he was “exceedingly grateful” for his support. He instead pointed to FBI data showing violent crime dropping in the US in 2025, continuing a downward trend since the COVID-19 pandemic, and he highlighted the Justice Department’s efforts to combat cartels and drug trafficking. “I’m proud of what we’ve done to help American families see safer streets and to have a fair shot at the life they’re working to build,” Blanche said. “None of this is a Republican or Democrat issue.” But Blanche echoed Trump’s assertions that the Justice Department was “weaponised” against Trump and his allies prior to the Republican leader’s second term. “In recent years, we watched the Justice Department turned against many of you and a former president, and it damaged the public’s faith in justice,” Blanche said.
The BriefWire