Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche Defends Trump Ties During Confirmation Hearing
Todd Blanche faced Senate questions about his past work for Donald Trump, the handling of Epstein documents and a $1.8 billion fund, while new audio revealed a boat emergency involving teen Nolan Wells.
During a Senate confirmation hearing, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was questioned about his prior relationship with President Donald Trump and the Justice Department’s management of the Epstein files. Blanche said he is not a “yes man” for the president but acknowledged that, as a member of the executive branch, he reports to the president. He clarified his former role as Trump’s personal lawyer, stating, "I’m his lawyer. Was his lawyer."
Senator Thom Tillis asked Blanche about the status of a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund intended to settle Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, while Democrats pressed him on a mistake affecting roughly one percent of Epstein-related documents, for which Blanche apologized.
The hearing comes as Senator John Cornyn, a potential swing vote, indicated he has not yet decided whether to support Blanche’s confirmation, and the recent death of Senator Lindsey Graham could affect the vote count.
Separately, newly released audio from a public-records request showed friends of 18-year-old Nolan Wells calling for assistance after their boat began taking on water on Horn Island, Mississippi, saying the bilge pump had failed and the vessel was sinking. Wells was found dead two days later; his family has opened its own investigation.
In other news, a senior Department of Homeland Security official said senior officials were surprised by President Trump’s reversal of a pause on ICE vehicle stops, learning of the change through the president’s social-media post. The administration also announced intensified strikes in northern Iran and the release of an American citizen who had been subject to an exit ban but not detained.