Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche Testifies Before Senate Judiciary Committee

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 15 in his confirmation hearing for the permanent position. Blanche has served in the acting role since early April 2025 after President Trump fired Pam Bondi that month and nominated Blanche in June 2025. He previously served as deputy attorney general following Senate confirmation in March 2025.

Blanche stated during the hearing that he is not a "yes man" but that President Trump is his boss. He also said he does not think President Trump is eligible to run for another term. Blanche told the committee that the anti-weaponization fund is dead after Senator John Cornyn challenged him on the issue.

Senator Dick Durbin questioned Blanche about the Jeffrey Epstein files. Blanche said he is prohibited from meeting directly with Jeffrey Epstein victims, while Durbin urged him to meet with ten victims. The Justice Department under Blanche published nearly 3.5 million pages of Epstein files in January 2026.

The department also indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center for alleged donor fraud and granted President Trump protection from IRS audits. President Trump posted on Truth Social that Blanche brought murder rates to historic lows, increased violent crime arrests by 100 percent, and oversaw the seizure of more than 500 million deadly doses of drugs.

The death of Senator Lindsey Graham left Republicans with a one-seat majority in the Senate.

A single Republican "no" vote would block Blanche's nomination from consideration by the full Senate. The committee vote is scheduled later this month.