Bill Barr calls on Senate GOP to confirm Todd Blanche for attorney general

Barr’s public support comes less than three weeks before Blanche is scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for confirmation hearings on July 15 and 16. Republicans hope to advance the nomination before the Senate leaves for the August recess, though Blanche must first win over several Republican senators who have yet to commit to supporting him.

Among the most closely watched votes is Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who has said he continues to vet Blanche’s record. Tillis previously expressed concerns over Blanche’s now-abandoned proposal to create a roughly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, saying he would need assurances the proposal was permanently dead before supporting the nomination. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), another possible swing vote, has said Blanche assured her the proposal would not move forward.

Barr’s endorsement is notable, given the former attorney general once drew the ire of Trump following Trump’s 2020 election defeat. In 2022, Trump slammed him as “a RINO if there ever was one,” referring to a “Republican in name only,” saying he “didn’t have the courage or stamina to go after voter fraud.”

The former DOJ head argued that rejecting Blanche would do little to constrain Trump because the president could continue relying on acting officials to lead the DOJ.

“It wouldn’t force the president to make a better choice,” Barr wrote. “It will simply invite more chaos and a less desirable appointment.”

Instead, Barr said confirming Blanche would strengthen the department by giving him greater authority both within the administration and with foreign counterparts.

Barr credited Blanche with helping oversee many of the administration’s signature DOJ initiatives, including violent crime enforcement, immigration enforcement, cartel prosecutions, anti-fraud efforts, eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and defending the administration’s regulatory agenda in court.

Blanche’s nomination nevertheless continues to draw sharp opposition from Democrats and outside legal groups, in part because Blanche previously worked as Trump’s personal attorney when he faced federal and state indictments during his 2024 reelection bid.

Barr dismissed the notion that Blanche’s prior client relationship with Trump has any bearing on his ability to lead. “Having helped the president through the crucible of his legal battles, Mr. Blanche is likely in the best position of anyone in the country to deliver strong counsel to the president and have him accept it,” Barr wrote.

The left-wing push to frame Blanche as more loyal to the president than the country grew more intense this week. On Tuesday, left-wing groups including Democracy Defenders Fund, Lawyers Defending American Democracy, and 101 former federal and state judges filed a 73-page ethics complaint with the New York State Bar requesting an investigation into Blanche’s conduct.

The complaint alleges Blanche improperly helped create the administration’s controversial $1.776 billion compensation fund, misused DOJ investigative powers against Trump’s perceived political opponents, and mishandled oversight of the department’s response to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which critics say resulted in the disclosure of sensitive victim information.

A prominent attorney who recently departed the DOJ for a job in the private sector dismissed the filing as politically motivated.

“What people need to keep in mind is once you’re a retired judge and want to get involved in practicing law you become just like any other lawyer, so the fact that they use their retired judge title means nothing (especially for partisan ends like this),” said Abhishek Kambli, who previously worked in the department’s Civil Rights Division.

“But it is disturbing that retired judges are attempting to use the optics of their former positions to lend credibility to a meritless bar complaint against the Acting AG in an attempt to publicly embarrass him,” Kambli added.

Blanche also faced renewed criticism over his handling of the Epstein files after U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said Thursday that Blanche effectively “conceded” that the department violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act when it chose to withhold certain documents, and Sullivan ordered the DOJ to unredact more pages of the files within one week or explain why it cannot.

The DOJ has repeatedly defended its compliance with the law, saying any withheld documents may include duplicative materials, attorney-client privileged information, sensitive records containing victims’ identities, among other stipulations that the law demands of the government.

A spokesperson for the DOJ told the Washington Examiner on Friday that “The Acting Attorney General has not conceded anything.”

“Judge Sullivan’s perverse interpretation appears to be focused on driving misleading headlines,” the spokesperson said, adding, “This judge is suggesting DOJ violate the law by un-redacting victim names, who as the Department has always explained, sadly became co-conspirators. DOJ has produced all responsive documents and will appeal this decision with confidence.”

JUDGE ORDERS DOJ TO UNDREDACT EPSTEIN FILES RELATED TO TRUMP AND ‘TORTURE VIDEO’

Blanche has served as acting attorney general since former Attorney General Pam Bondi was ousted earlier this year. He was previously confirmed by the Senate to serve as deputy attorney general by a 52-46 margin.

If confirmed, he could become Trump’s permanent attorney general for the remainder of the president’s second term.