President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Todd Blanche, will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing starting on July 15.
Ahead of the hearing, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and dozens of national organizations–including the Feminist Majority Foundation–called on senators to vote against his confirmation, citing a pattern of political interference and attacks on civil rights protections.
Blanche has served as acting attorney general since April after former attorney general Pam Bondi left the position. Before joining the Justice Department, Blanche represented Trump as his personal criminal defense attorney during several of the president’s criminal cases. He was confirmed as deputy attorney general on March 5, 2025 and became acting attorney general on April 2, 2026.
In a memo released ahead of the hearing, The Leadership Conference argued that Blanche has used the Justice Department to advance the president’s political agenda rather than serve as an independent law enforcement agency. The coalition pointed to a series of actions it says have weakened civil rights enforcement, undermined the rule of law, and threatened democratic institutions.
In March, Blanche endorsed deploying ICE officers to polling places while speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Federal law generally prohibits armed federal officers from being stationed at polling places except under limited circumstances. This policy could intimidate voters and discourage participation, particularly in immigrant communities.
Blanche has led efforts to investigate civil rights organizations. Under his leadership, the Justice Department has targeted groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Those investigations represent an unprecedented effort to use federal law enforcement against organizations that work to protect voting rights and civic participation.
Blanche has also expanded the administration’s campaign against DEI. In May 2025, he launched the DOJ’s Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, which directs the department to investigate organizations that receive federal funding while maintaining DEI programs the administration believes violate federal law. This could pressure schools, nonprofits, and businesses to eliminate programs intended to address discrimination and expand opportunity.
The coalition further raised concerns about Blanche’s treatment of DOJ employees. In April 2025, he fired veteran DOJ attorney Erez Reuveni after Reuveni acknowledged in federal court that Kilmar Abrego Garcia had been wrongfully deported to El Salvador. Reuveni later filed a whistleblower complaint alleging senior department officials encouraged government lawyers to disregard court orders and make false statements to judges. This incident reflects a broader effort to punish officials who refuse to carry out politically motivated actions.
The attorney general oversees the enforcement of federal civil rights laws, including protections against sex discrimination, voting rights violations, hate crimes, and workplace discrimination. The office also plays a key role in enforcing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and protecting access to reproductive health care under federal law. Those responsibilities require an attorney general who can act independently of political influence.
The memo argues that Blanche has blurred the line between serving as the president’s personal attorney and serving as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. During his confirmation hearing for deputy attorney general, Blanche declined to commit to stepping aside from matters related to the criminal cases in which he represented Trump.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will question Blanche about his record during the confirmation hearing before deciding whether to advance his nomination to the full Senate.