Todd Blanche Faces Senate Hurdles Over Epstein Survivors and Abortion Policy

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 15 and 16, 2026, to seek permanent confirmation. Blanche pledged to advance the Trump administration's anti-abortion agenda, including the enforcement of the 1873 Comstock Act to restrict the mailing of abortion medication and the end of telehealth abortion access. He also defended the FDA's re-review of mifepristone safety.

His nomination faces significant obstacles from within his own party. Senator Thom Tillis conditioned his support on Blanche meeting with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring. Although Blanche met with survivors at the Department of Justice on July 16, participants including Dani Bensky described him as abrasive and noncommittal. Blanche characterized the encounter as not entirely cordial, stating he could not provide the specific form of justice the survivors desired. He did, however, apologize for redaction errors in Epstein files that exposed victim identities.

Further complications include Senator John Cornyn's dispute over the status of a 1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund and the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, which narrowed the committee's margins. Meanwhile, supporters argue Blanche is uniquely qualified to dismantle a "lawfare cabal" of Democratic prosecutors. This push follows revelations from Chairman Chuck Grassley that Special Counsel Jack Smith may have committed perjury regarding the acquisition of text messages from 44 Republican members of Congress.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to reconvene on July 30, 2026, to vote on whether to report the nomination to the full Senate.