On Wednesday (July 15), Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared before the Senate on Capitol Hill for a confirmation hearing. The proceedings would soon get testy, and be scrutinized on social media for some stumbles by the favored lawyer of President Donald Trump.
A sign of things to come – and another viral moment for those calling for age limits in Congress – was offered up by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who introduced Blanche as “Mr. Branch” to his “Democart colleagues.”
Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) began the Judiciary Committee hearing by reading out a detailed list of Blanche’s actions, which served the aims of the Trump administration, including his work to obstruct the full release of the files of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to the public and the firing of many lawyers from the Department of Justice. “You have removed from the department some of the most effective prosecutors that have ever served our government,” Durbin said.
The White House swiftly attempted to defend Blanche online in real-time, quoting the moment in a video clip in a post on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “WRONG. Todd Blanche has ended the weaponization of the Justice Department and returned the focus on keeping Americans safe. The record drop in violent crime speaks for itself.”
It would be the first of a series of posts from their X account, meant to generate more support for the man who has been positioned as Trump’s personal lawyer. But Blanche himself made a costly slip-up when questioned by Senator John Kennedy (R-L.A.). “Are you and Trump friends?” Kennedy asked. “I’m his lawyer… was his lawyer,” Blanche responded.
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The moment quickly became viral, as Trump administration critics and Democrats were left surprised by Blanche’s gaffe and expressed so on social media. Journalist Scott MacFarlane underscored the immediate impact in his post on X.
Democratic Staff Director Don Sisson called it the “Freudian slip of the year” in his post on X.
Blanche found himself heavily on the defensive from that point, as he faced severe questioning from Senator John Conryn (R-Texas) over the “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” a $1.776 billion fund created to potentially compensate Trump’s allies.
The hearing is critical for Blanche due to the death of Senator Lindsey Graham. His passing leaves 11 Republicans on the Judiciary Committee and 10 Democrats. If one GOP member votes no, his confirmation is scuttled.
