The Senate Judiciary Committee is taking up Todd Blanche‘s nomination to be attorney general of the United States. Having served as lawyers on that committee as well as for two different attorneys general appointed by President Donald Trump, we agree that he is exceptionally well-qualified to lead the Department of Justice. Blanche should be voted favorably out of the committee, allowing the Senate to promptly confirm him as attorney general.
The president, acting through his attorney general, is charged with carrying out the political will of the people. The administration’s renewed focus on core law enforcement responsibilities — and its rollback of regulatory overreach and overcriminalization — is precisely what the electorate demanded when it returned Trump to office. Blanche has been central to delivering on the president’s promises.
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Few nominees understand the DOJ — its people, its powers, and its demands — as thoroughly as Blanche. He began his career as a paralegal within the department. After law school, he became a law clerk, then a federal prosecutor, where he earned numerous awards and progressed the old-fashioned way up to manager, and ultimately, to section chief. His up-through-the-ranks story resonates throughout the department because he has walked in so many of its employees’ shoes and appreciates that every role is important to the DOJ’s operation as a well-oiled machine. Importantly, he has also worked the other side of the federal bar as a white-collar defense lawyer at three respected national law firms. He possesses the wisdom and good judgment to be credible, yet the humility to know when to ask for help. In short, he embodies the best qualities of leadership.
Blanche’s substantive record as deputy attorney general and acting attorney general speaks for itself. Under his leadership, the DOJ’s sweeping crime-fighting initiatives have driven dramatic reductions in violent crime across America’s largest cities. The department has supported the Department of Homeland Security in securing the southern border and implementing commonsense immigration reforms, recently winning two landmark victories at the Supreme Court in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado and Mullin v. Doe. It has provided essential legal support for American energy dominance — filing important amicus briefs in Suncor Energy Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County and Chevron USA Inc. v. Plaquemines Parish, and moving proactively to challenge progressive climate litigation campaigns around the country. On the commitments that carried the 2024 election — safer streets, a secure border, affordable and abundant energy — the department has delivered. Day in, day out, Blanche has been at the center of these operations.
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Despite his impeccable record of excellence and service, critics contend that Blanche is too close to Trump because he was the president’s personal defense attorney. But this should count in Blanche’s favor, not against him. White-collar defense work predominantly consists of telling powerful clients hard truths: delivering bad news, counseling restraint, and steering clients toward decisions they may resist but ultimately need to make. Blanche has done exactly that for Trump and under the most demanding circumstances imaginable. An attorney general must be able to advise the president candidly — and be heard. Blanche has proven he can do both.
Blanche is the right person to lead the department at this moment: an experienced attorney, seasoned on both sides of the federal bar, and fluent in the administration‘s priorities. He is a self-made man whose rise was grounded in merit consistent with the best traditions of the American dream. His confirmation will deliver the country a proven, capable leader at the helm of the nation’s most important law enforcement agency — and gives the department the stability and continuity it needs to keep delivering for the public. The Senate should promptly confirm Blanche as attorney general of the United States.
Ryan D. Newman served as counselor to Attorney General William P. Barr and as chief counsel to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) during his service on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Robert Luther III served as counsel to Attorney General Jeff Sessions during his service as a senator on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
