Blanche Faces Senate Gauntlet Over Epstein Files, IRS Settlement, and DOJ Independence

Todd Blanche walked into his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday with the weight of a fractured Justice Department, a struck-down IRS settlement, and more than 1,200 former DOJ staffers opposing him. By the time he walked out, he'd apologized to Epstein victims, traded barbs with Democratic senators, and left Republicans like John Cornyn publicly undecided. But here's the thing, folks — with Lindsey Graham's seat draped in black after his death over the weekend, the math on this confirmation has never been tighter.

Blanche Faces Senate Gauntlet Over Epstein Files, IRS Settlement, and DOJ Independence

Washington, D.C. – July 15, 2026 — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced a Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday that laid bare the fractures inside the Justice Department and the raw political stakes of his nomination. Democratic lawmakers hammered him on the department's handling of the Epstein files and the IRS settlement with President Donald Trump, while Blanche insisted he would restore public faith in the institution. The former Trump attorney doubled down on controversial actions, claiming transparency where critics saw favoritism and ethical lapses.

Blanche's testimony came against a backdrop of more than 1,200 former DOJ staffers urging senators to reject him. With Republicans holding a narrow majority and one seat draped in black after Sen. Lindsey Graham's death, the hearing carried immediate weight. Blanche presented himself as an independent counselor, yet the questions from Democrats focused on whether his past representation of Trump had compromised that independence before he even took the acting role.

The Epstein Files: Apology, Mistakes, and Contradictions

Blanche described the release of the Epstein files as a "herculean task" undertaken by the DOJ, insisting the Trump administration had been more transparent than any past administration. Under direct pressure from Sen. Richard Blumenthal, he acknowledged mistakes in failing to redact some victims' names and offered an apology, stating any mistake that was made should not have been made. He claimed lawyers remained on call 24/7 to fix redaction issues and suggested he could meet victims through their counsel because ethics rules barred direct contact.

Yet the contradictions surfaced quickly. Blanche maintained he was legally prohibited from meeting victims directly, then pivoted to an offer of indirect access that drew further scrutiny. Democrats pressed whether the unredacted releases had caused real harm, and Blanche's repeated emphasis on transparency clashed with the documented errors. The episode revealed a nominee willing to admit operational mistakes while defending the overall process as unprecedented in its openness.

Trump IRS Settlement: The "$1.8 Billion Dead Fund"

Blanche broadly defended the controversial IRS settlement with Trump that included a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund and appeared to grant legal immunity to Trump and his family. A judge struck down the deal Monday and referred Blanche for potential discipline. When Sen. John Cornyn questioned the scope of immunity, Blanche denied it extended beyond IRS protections, though Cornyn countered that the agreement's text suggested otherwise.

Blanche repeatedly stated the fund "is dead" and "not moving forward," attempting to close the chapter. Still, the details of the struck-down settlement lingered in the hearing room, with Democrats arguing the immunity provisions exceeded normal bounds. Blanche's defense rested on his reading of the document, but Cornyn's direct rebuttal underscored how the language itself fueled ongoing skepticism about the deal's true reach.

Testy Exchanges With Democrats: "You Cannot Control My Answers"

The hearing turned combative as Sen. Dick Durbin accused Blanche of corruption and Sen. Adam Schiff asked "What happened to you Todd Blanche?" When Schiff raised ethics concerns about Blanche handling Trump-related matters after previously representing him, Blanche shot back that Schiff could not accuse him of violating ethical rules and then lie about what he did. The exchange highlighted Blanche's willingness to push back forcefully rather than absorb criticism.

Sen. Cory Booker received a blunt reminder that he could ask questions but could not control the answers. When Sen. Whitehouse inquired about FBI Director Kash Patel's use of private jets and alleged alcohol use, Blanche dismissed it as "an extraordinarily obnoxious question." These moments revealed a nominee who viewed Democratic scrutiny as overreach and responded with sharp retorts instead of measured explanations.

Jan. 6 Pardons, Third Term, and Policy Positions

Blanche stated that Trump has "the absolute right to pardon anyone for anything he sees fit" regarding Jan. 6 rioters, adding that he was not celebrating the fact but simply stating it. He said he does not believe Trump can run for a third term. On the question of independence, Blanche asserted that President Trump trusts him to give counsel and that "counsel does not mean I'm a yes man."

When pressed on his personal relationship with Trump, Blanche first answered that "I am his lawyer" before correcting himself to say "I was his lawyer." The clarification underscored the shifting nature of their professional ties and the difficulty of separating past representation from current oversight responsibilities. Blanche also suggested the DOJ would review a Biden-era legal opinion allowing abortion pills by mail, hinting at future actions under his leadership.

The Background: From Trump's Lawyer to Acting Attorney General

Blanche's path to this confirmation hearing is itself a story. He worked at the DOJ in a variety of roles before going into private practice, where he became one of Trump's personal attorneys during the president's years out of office. He most notably represented Trump in the Manhattan criminal trial where the president was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records — the first criminal conviction of a former U.S. president in American history.

Trump appointed Blanche to serve as deputy attorney general in March 2025, drawing immediate controversy for putting his personal lawyer atop the DOJ chain of command. When Trump fired former AG Pam Bondi in April, Blanche was elevated to acting attorney general, and the president named him to serve in the position permanently. The rapid consolidation of power — from defense attorney to deputy AG to acting AG to nominee for the top job — has Democrats asking whether the fix was in from the start.

What This Means: The Confirmation Math

Sen. John Cornyn told reporters after the hearing that he remains undecided on Blanche's nomination. With Lindsey Graham's seat now empty — draped in black and adorned with white roses — and Republicans holding only a narrow majority, a single Republican defection could block the confirmation outright. The presence of more than 1,200 former DOJ staffers who sent a letter urging rejection adds external pressure that could influence fence-sitting members.

Blanche's background — prior DOJ service, representation of Trump in the Manhattan criminal trial that resulted in 34 convictions for falsifying business records, and the now-dismissed classified documents case — remains central to the debate. His appointment as deputy AG in March 2025 and elevation to acting AG after Pam Bondi's firing in April illustrate the rapid consolidation of Trump loyalists at the department's top levels. The narrow math on the committee means Blanche's performance under fire will determine whether one Republican breaks ranks.

Blanche's testimony revealed a nominee determined to project both loyalty and independence while defending actions that have already drawn judicial rebuke. The combination of an apology on the Epstein files, insistence that the $1.8 billion fund is dead, and sharp exchanges with Democrats painted a portrait of someone navigating intense partisan crossfire. Whether that performance satisfies enough Republicans to secure confirmation now rests on a single vote in a chamber missing one of its members.

The hearing exposed the core tension: Blanche's claim that he can serve as trusted counsel without becoming a "yes man" collides with the record of settlements, pardons, and ethics questions that Democrats refuse to let fade. The outcome will test whether the Senate views those tensions as disqualifying or merely the cost of political transition.

By Jessica Ali, Staff Writer