Blanche confirmation uncertain as Republican senators press on IRS deal and Epstein files
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced bipartisan scrutiny over a voided tax settlement and the Epstein document release, leaving his path to confirmation dependent on skeptical GOP votes.
The Senate Judiciary Committee opened confirmation hearings for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday, with his nomination facing potential deadlock after the recent death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham left the panel with 11 Republican and 10 Democratic members. According to statements from multiple senators, at least two Republicans — Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas — have not committed to supporting Blanche, meaning a single GOP defection could prevent the nomination from advancing to the full Senate.
Democratic committee members, led by ranking member Dick Durbin of Illinois, argued that Blanche has acted as President Donald Trump’s personal defender rather than an independent law enforcement officer. Durbin told reporters that Blanche had “demonstrated that you are always the personal lawyer of President Trump,” while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in a floor speech, said Blanche had “attacked Trump’s enemies, covered up his crimes, and protected him from consequences.” Democrats focused on the Justice Department’s creation of a $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate individuals claiming unfair treatment under the previous administration, as well as a related settlement that granted Trump and his family broad immunity from IRS audits — an agreement a federal judge voided on Monday and referred Blanche to state bar authorities for potential ethics violations.
Republican skepticism centered on the same fund. Senator Tillis told CNN that the fund must be “dead” to earn his vote, while Senator Cornyn said after the hearing that he had “not yet decided” and continued to have concerns. During questioning, Blanche stated that the fund “is dead” and “not moving forward,” but acknowledged to Cornyn that the settlement had not been formally rescinded in writing. On the Epstein files, Blanche said the department had made “mistakes” in redacting victims’ names and, under pressure from Senator Richard Blumenthal, offered an apology, while maintaining that the administration had been “more transparent than any past administration.”
Blanche, who served as Trump’s personal attorney before joining the Justice Department, told senators that he would not violate his oath to the Constitution and that Trump had never asked him to break the law. When asked by Republican Senator John Kennedy whether he was friends with the president, Blanche initially replied, “I am his lawyer,” before correcting himself to “was his lawyer.” A group of Epstein survivors attended the hearing wearing shirts depicting redacted files, and one survivor is scheduled to testify before the committee on Thursday. The hearing is set to continue, with a committee vote expected in the coming days.
| 大西洋／英语圈媒体 | −0.50 | critical |
|---|---|---|
| 拉丁美洲媒体 | 0.00 | neutral |
Blanche is an extension of presidential will, incapable of acting independently from the White House.
Emphasizing personal ties and ethical criticisms turns a nomination question into a test of constitutional loyalty.
Blanche's admission of errors in handling Epstein files is absent, which could have mitigated criticism.
Blanche made technical errors in publishing Epstein files but corrected them; the issue is procedural, not political.
Blanche's apologies and corrections are presented as objective facts, reducing political tension and normalizing the controversy.
Missing is the context of federal judges' criticisms and doubts about Blanche's independence, which could have politicized the narrative.