When he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche will argue that he is “restoring trust” in the Justice Department, according to a copy of his prepared remarks.
The idea is core to the division between supporters and critics of President Donald Trump: whether the government was weaponized against him, or whether he is using the seat of power to go after his own detractors and political foes. That question will be top of mind as Blanche sits for his confirmation hearing.
While Blanche’s prepared remarks do not touch on some of the department’s most controversial actions under his leadership, including high-profile indictments and the now-defunct anti-weaponization fund, he will say that “members of this Committee – on both sides – have fair questions about the hard debates of this past year, and I welcome them.”
He will, however, give details on some the department’s cornerstone issues under the Trump administration like fighting violent crime, stopping drug cartels and prosecuting fraud. Blanche will highlight partnerships between federal, state and local officials who are “all pulling in the same direction.”
“None of this is Republican or Democrat,” Blanche will say. “Every Senator here has constituents who just want to be safe.”
While he is often thought of for his work as Trump’s personal attorney while he was out of office, Blanche plans to discuss his history as a prosecutor, saying: “I rose through the ranks of this Department: line prosecutor, division chief, Deputy Attorney General, and now Acting Attorney General.”
“I did not take that path for a title,” Blanche will say. “I took it to make a difference for American families and the towns they call home.”
