Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche launched his confirmation process on Monday, meeting with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) as the first step in what is expected to be a monthlong push to secure the top Justice Department job.
Grassley, in a statement following the meeting, offered a positive assessment of Blanche's tenure as Deputy Attorney General and acting head of the DOJ. “I appreciated the opportunity to sit down again with Todd Blanche, who’s spent the last year and a half supporting President Trump’s mission of law and order,” Grassley said. He added that Blanche is “prepared to build on that success and continue working hard to keep American families safe as the next Attorney General.”
However, Grassley also noted that he is still awaiting responses to outstanding oversight requests from the Department of Justice. “I expect Blanche to respond to my outstanding requests for records, so the American people get the transparency and accountability they deserve,” Grassley said, without specifying which records are pending.
The confirmation path is far from smooth. Blanche, who previously served as one of President Trump’s personal attorneys, was nominated for the permanent role last week amid an internal GOP battle over a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for individuals who alleged they were unfairly prosecuted by the DOJ. Blanche announced the fund as acting attorney general, but it was quickly withdrawn after facing sharp criticism from both parties. That episode has left some senators wary.
Two key Republican votes on the Judiciary Committee—Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), both of whom are retiring at the end of the term—have expressed reservations. Either could single-handedly derail Blanche’s nomination. Cornyn, the panel’s second-ranking Republican, is scheduled to meet with Blanche later this week. On Monday, he said he wants to hear that Blanche “will follow the law.”
Cornyn has previously voiced concerns about Blanche’s background as Trump’s personal lawyer, a role he argued is fundamentally different from being attorney general. “Being AG is a unique job because you’re the president’s lawyer, you’re the chief legal officer for the United States, but you’re also a member of the president’s Cabinet, which means you could be fired at any time,” Cornyn told reporters last week. “So it’s maybe the hardest balancing act in the Cabinet. So I’m interested in hearing how he would approach the job, because he was President Trump’s lawyer at one time, but if he’s AG, he won’t be the president’s lawyer.”
The controversy surrounding Blanche has also drawn attention from House Democrats. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) has vowed to issue subpoenas for Blanche and other Trump officials on the first day of a Democratic-controlled House. Garcia’s pledge signals the ongoing political crossfire Blanche faces, even as he seeks to win over Republican skeptics.
Grassley confirmed that Blanche’s confirmation hearing before the full Judiciary Committee is scheduled for July. The timeline leaves weeks for negotiations and potential holdouts among GOP senators, especially given the narrow majority in the chamber. Blanche’s ability to navigate the competing demands of transparency, independence, and loyalty to the Trump administration will be tested in the coming weeks.
