Todd Blanche’s Attorney General Nomination Faces Fierce Senate Scrutiny

President Donald Trump nominated former Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for U.S. Attorney General in May 2026. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to begin a two-day confirmation hearing on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Blanche must secure the support of every Republican senator in committee and can afford to lose no more than three Republican votes in the full Senate for his nomination to advance.

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Blanche served as Deputy Attorney General under former Attorney General Pam Bondi in 2025. After Trump dismissed Bondi in April 2026, he elevated Blanche to acting AG and formally nominated him the following month. During his deputy tenure, Blanche negotiated a settlement with Trump that would bar the federal government from pursuing tax enforcement against the former president, his family, and their businesses, and would create a nearly $2 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for individuals the Biden administration had politically targeted, including Jan. 6 rioters.

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• Todd Blanche – Nominee, former personal attorney to Trump in multiple criminal cases.

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• President Donald Trump – Former client whose interests are cited as a conflict.

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• Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) – Outgoing senator, vocal critic of the settlement.

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• Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) – Expressed concern over Blanche’s loyalty to Trump.

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• Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) – Demanded proof of Blanche’s independence.

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• Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) & Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) – Chair and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee receiving a letter from more than 1,200 former DOJ employees.

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• Liz Oyer – Former DOJ pardon attorney who alleges retaliation after Blanche’s appointment.

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• The disputed settlement would establish a $2 billion fund for political victims.

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• A letter from former DOJ staff reports ? 16,000 employee departures under Blanche’s leadership.

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• The DOJ, while Blanche was deputy, froze civil-rights litigation and closed more than 23,000 criminal cases to prioritize immigration matters.

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Sen. Tillis described the settlement as “beyond the pale” and warned that any perception of a non-independent DOJ would affect his vote. Sen. Cornyn said he wants to know how Blanche “would approach the job” given his past role as Trump’s lawyer. Sen. Cassidy stressed the need to be convinced that Blanche “is not the president’s personal attorney who happens to be attorney general.” In a House Appropriations hearing, Blanche asserted, “We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” though he declined to provide a written commitment.

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Republican holdouts cite the settlement, Blanche’s involvement in the Epstein file redactions, the dismissed indictment of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and alleged retaliation against DOJ staff. A collective letter from former DOJ employees argues that hundreds were fired for refusing to pursue politically favored prosecutions. Liz Oyer claims she was terminated after refusing to restore firearm rights for a convicted domestic abuser—identified in media as actor Mel Gibson—and that Blanche sent an intimidating letter to her family.

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• “There’s not one positive thing that could be spun out of this between now and November. This is bad policy, it’s bad timing and it’s bad politics.” — Thom Tillis, Senator (May 2026)

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• “We are not moving forward with the fund, period.” — Todd Blanche, House Appropriations Committee hearing (June 2026)

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• “I’m interested in hearing how he [Blanche] 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,” — John Cornyn, Senator (July 2026)

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• “I have to be convinced that Todd is not the president’s personal attorney who happens to be attorney general, but that Todd is the attorney general who used to be the president’s personal attorney,” — Bill Cassidy, Senator (July 2026)

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• “Under Blanche’s leadership, approximately 16,000 employees have left, and departures aren’t slowing down,” — Letter from former DOJ employees (July 2026)

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• “The interests of Blanche’s former client, Donald Trump, are frequently in conflict with the interests of Blanche’s current client, the United States,” — Liz Oyer, former DOJ pardon attorney (July 2026)

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A federal judge has reopened Trump’s IRS lawsuit on suspicion that it was filed to secure a benefit for the president, but the outcome remains pending. Blanche’s promise to halt the anti-weaponization fund was given verbally; no written assurance has been produced. The indictment against Kilmar Abrego Garcia was dismissed as a “bad-faith effort,” yet details of the prosecutorial decision are not fully disclosed.

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The Judiciary Committee will hold Blanche’s confirmation hearing on July 15–16, 2026. Following the committee vote, the full Senate will consider the nomination, where Blanche must retain the support of the majority of Republican senators to survive a confirmation vote.

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