Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Monday in preparation for his confirmation hearing scheduled for this summer. Blanche has been serving in the role since the resignation of former Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this year and was nominated by President Donald Trump. He is expected to face significant opposition from nearly all Democratic senators during the confirmation process.
Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee responsible for advancing Blanche's nomination, expressed a positive view of their meeting. He stated, "I appreciated the opportunity to sit down again with Todd Blanche, who’s spent the last year and a half supporting President Trump’s mission of law and order as Deputy Attorney General and now Acting Attorney General. Blanche is prepared to build on that success and continue working hard to keep American families safe as the next Attorney General."
Grassley also noted the responsiveness of the Department of Justice to his oversight requests but emphasized that more work remains to be done. He expects Blanche to address outstanding requests for records to ensure transparency and accountability for the American public. The senator indicated he looks forward to advancing Blanche’s nomination, with the confirmation hearing set for July.
Blanche's nomination follows the dismissal of Bondi by Trump in April, which was reportedly due to her handling of the Epstein files and a perceived lack of aggression in implementing the administration's agenda. Blanche has faced scrutiny regarding his connection to Jeffrey Epstein and criticism related to Trump's proposed anti-weaponization fund.