Todd Blanche Aims to Restore Trust in DOJ at Senate Hearing
WHO:
NBC News - Sen. Thom Tillis and Sen. John Cornyn are two Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee who have not committed to supporting Todd Blanche's nomination.
NBC News - Todd Blanche, Acting Attorney General, was previously Trump’s personal lawyer.
Deadline - Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) questioned Todd Blanche about his role in the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
ABC News - Todd Blanche, Acting Attorney General, former personal attorney to Trump
ABC News - Sen. Ashley Moody, Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
ABC News - Sen. Thom Tillis, Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
ABC News - Sen. John Cornyn, Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
ABC News - Sen. Dick Durbin, top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee
WHAT:
ABC News - Sen. Thom Tillis criticized a $1.776 billion fund created by the Trump administration to compensate individuals who feel unjustly persecuted by the criminal justice system.
CNN - Todd Blanche stated, “the weaponization fund is dead,” regarding the nearly $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate Trump’s allies.
ABC News - Blanche stated, “I was part of that decision,” regarding the Justice Department's approval of the Paramount merger.
ABC News - Sen. Dick Durbin criticized Blanche for creating a $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate allies of Trump.
ABC News - In his opening statement, Todd Blanche touted the Trump administration’s efforts to lower violent crime, stem the flow of illicit drugs, prosecute dangerous cartels, and take down fraudsters taking advantage of American taxpayers.
ABC News - Blanche stated that he was part of the Justice Department's decision to approve the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.
ABC News - Todd Blanche is facing questions during a Senate confirmation hearing.
ABC News - Blanche is expected to state that he and his team are “restoring trust” in the Justice Department.
ABC News - Blanche has run the Justice Department on an interim basis since April.
ABC News - Blanche has accelerated investigations into Trump’s perceived adversaries.
ABC News - Blanche has functioned as the public face of a fund meant to compensate Trump’s allies.
ABC News - Blanche is expected to face bipartisan scrutiny during the hearing.
WHERE:
ABC News - The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing is taking place in Washington, D.C.
WHEN:
ABC News - The Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
WHY:
CNN - Blanche acknowledged he has recused himself from any involvement in DOJ action related to three criminal cases against Trump: a false-business-records prosecution in New York, the January 6 investigation, and the case of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
ABC News - Sen. Ashley Moody highlighted Blanche’s early career as a paralegal at the Justice Department to counter claims of partisanship.
ABC News - Sen. Dick Durbin accused Blanche of acting like Trump’s personal attorney, stating, “In less than 18 months at the Department of Justice, you’ve shown you’re still President Trump’s personal attorney.”
ABC News - The hearing will test President Trump’s grip on Republican lawmakers whose support is needed for Blanche’s nomination.
ABC News - Democrats have complained that Blanche has weaponized the Justice Department by pursuing investigations into Trump’s adversaries.
HOW:
NY Post - Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) questioned Todd Blanche about his association with Kash Patel during the hearing.
ABC News - Blanche has been accused of purging Justice Department employees deemed insufficiently loyal to Trump.
NBC News - Blanche discussed his efforts to combat crime and enforce Justice Department policies while "restoring American trust" in the agency.
(UPDATED July 15, 2026 22:17 UTC)
Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn, both Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, have yet to commit to supporting Todd Blanche's nomination. In related news, Tillis criticized a $1.776 billion fund established by the Trump administration to aid individuals who believe they have been unjustly persecuted by the criminal justice system, while Blanche declared that “the weaponization fund is dead.” Additionally, Blanche has recused himself from any involvement in Department of Justice actions concerning three criminal cases against Trump, which include a false-business-records prosecution in New York, the January 6 investigation, and the classified documents case at Mar-a-Lago.
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(UPDATED July 15, 2026 20:26 UTC)
In a recent hearing, Todd Blanche, the Acting Attorney General and a former personal lawyer for Trump, confirmed his involvement in the Justice Department's approval of the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, stating, “I was part of that decision.” Meanwhile, Sen. Dick Durbin criticized Blanche for establishing a $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate Trump’s allies, while Sen. Ashley Moody defended him by referencing his early career as a paralegal at the Justice Department to address concerns about partisanship. Additionally, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse questioned Blanche about his connections with Kash Patel during the proceedings.
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(UPDATED July 15, 2026 19:28 UTC)
In his opening statement, Todd Blanche highlighted the Trump administration's achievements in reducing violent crime, combating drug trafficking, and prosecuting dangerous cartels while also addressing fraud against American taxpayers. Blanche also mentioned his involvement in the Justice Department's approval of the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. However, Senator Dick Durbin challenged Blanche's role, accusing him of continuing to act as President Trump's personal attorney.
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(UPDATED July 15, 2026 15:24 UTC)
Todd Blanche, the Acting Attorney General and former personal attorney to Trump, is facing questions during a Senate confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., scheduled for Wednesday. He is expected to assert that he and his team are “restoring trust” in the Justice Department while also facing bipartisan scrutiny for his actions, which include accelerating investigations into Trump’s perceived adversaries and managing a fund to compensate Trump’s allies. The hearing will serve as a critical test of President Trump’s influence over Republican lawmakers, who are essential for Blanche’s nomination, amid complaints from Democrats about the alleged weaponization of the Justice Department.