Todd Blanche’s Attorney General Nomination Faces Senate Scrutiny

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, was nominated on June 8, 2026 as the department’s permanent head. The 12-10 Senate Judiciary Committee must approve the nomination before a full-Senate vote. Confirmation hearings are set for after the July 4 recess, and a House Oversight hearing on the Epstein files is planned for July.

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Blanche became acting AG after Trump removed Pam Bondi on April 2. His tenure includes a settlement that bars the IRS from auditing Trump or his family and scrutiny over the release of millions of Epstein-related documents, fueling partisan concerns about his suitability.

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• April 2 – Trump fires AG Pam Bondi; Blanche becomes acting AG.

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• June 8 – Formal nomination.

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• June 15 – Grassley greets Blanche; Cornyn reports a “positive” meeting, no decision.

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• Early–Late July – House Oversight plans an Epstein hearing; Senate Judiciary schedules Blanche’s confirmation hearing after the July 4 recess, and Blanche is expected to testify before the committee.

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The confirmation will determine whether the Justice Department continues policies seen as favorable to Trump, such as the IRS audit exemption, and how aggressively it pursues high-profile investigations, including the Epstein files and the DOJ probe of Governor Gavin Newsom. It also signals the Senate’s willingness to scrutinize nominees with close presidential ties.

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Senator Chuck Grassley voiced support for Blanche, while Democratic committee members raised conflict-of-interest concerns. Representative James Comer stressed the need for clarity on any omitted Epstein documents. Republican Senator Thom Tillis warned that any perceived leniency toward Jan. 6 participants would cost his vote. Senator John Cornyn’s cautious stance reflects broader Republican uncertainty about the settlement’s legality and transparency. Governor Gavin Newsom denied wrongdoing, calling the DOJ probe a “political hit job.”

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The House Oversight Committee’s request for missing Epstein files and the DOJ’s probe of Governor Newsom have both left key details undisclosed.

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• “It was a positive meeting, but I didn’t reach any conclusions,” — John Cornyn, U.S. Senator (TX)

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• “The key for Todd, or anybody going through Judiciary Committee, is being pretty tight on Jan. 6. They better not have said for one minute that the people that beat up police officers … were righteous people,” — Thom Tillis, U.S. Senator (NC)

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• “The main thing that we have for Blanche is the question on what, if any, documents are left out there,” — James Comer, U.S. Representative (KY)

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• “This is not a news conference,” — Chuck Grassley, U.S. Senator (IA)

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Blanche will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee in late July to address the settlement, the Epstein document issue, and the IRS audit exemption. A subsequent House Oversight hearing will focus on the Epstein files. The final Senate vote will hinge on Republican committee alignment and resolution of the outstanding concerns.

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