A staggering coalition of 670,000 sworn law enforcement officers, 300 angel families, and 100 bipartisan U.S. attorneys have thrown their support behind Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as he faced the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday morning for his confirmation hearing.
Blanche, who has served as the nation’s top law enforcement official in an acting capacity since succeeding former Attorney General Pam Bondi, is seeking permanent appointment to lead the Department of Justice. The hearing, chaired by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, comes amid what the Trump administration claims is a historic turnaround in American public safety.
President Trump took to Truth Social Wednesday to champion his nominee’s record, pointing to crime statistics he called unprecedented.
“Under Todd’s incredible leadership at DOJ, Murder is down to the LOWEST level since 1900, and we just saw the biggest one year drop in RECORDED HISTORY,” Trump wrote. “Violent Crime arrests are UP 100%. Robberies, Carjackings, and Assaults, are all CRASHING. More than 500 million deadly doses of Drugs have already been seized, saving countless innocent lives.”
The president urged swift action from his party: “Every Republican Senator should vote to CONFIRM Todd Blanche, ASAP!”
Twenty-three state attorneys general issued a joint statement backing the nomination, praising Blanche’s commitment to fighting violent crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and terrorism.
“Todd Blanche has shown the ability to deliver real results,” the attorneys general wrote. “His record reflects a commitment to public safety, vigorous enforcement of federal law and effective stewardship of the Department of Justice.”
Grassley opened Wednesday’s proceedings by noting that Blanche had already proven himself through the confirmation process once before, when the Senate approved him as deputy attorney general more than a year ago.
“The Senate has already judged your fitness for high office and confirmed you as the department’s second in command,” Grassley said. “Today, we consider you for promotion, and we’re not starting out from a blank slate. You have a track record.”
The Iowa Republican acknowledged that Democrats have “relentlessly attacked” both Blanche and President Trump over their leadership of the Justice Department, but said he preferred to examine the evidence rather than accept “partisan criticism.”
Trump also highlighted Blanche’s broader accomplishments beyond crime reduction, crediting him with defending religious liberty, protecting free speech, keeping men out of women’s sports, strengthening election integrity, and ending what the president called the “weaponization” of the justice system.
“He is tough, brilliant, and 100% LOYAL to our Constitution, and the American People,” Trump declared.
The president and his nominee share a history that predates the administration. Blanche served as Trump’s personal defense attorney in 2023 and 2024, representing him through multiple prosecutions that Trump has long characterized as political persecution.
“When the Corrupt Biden ‘Injustice’ Department and Radical Left Prosecutors tried to throw me in jail, and interfered in our Historic 2024 Presidential Campaign, Todd stood by my side and fought off the Lawfare,” Trump wrote.
The angel families backing Blanche, those who lost loved ones to crimes committed by illegal immigrants, represent a constituency that has become central to the Trump administration’s law enforcement message. Their support signals that the DOJ’s focus on immigration enforcement has resonated with Americans directly affected by border security failures under previous leadership.
Blanche’s confirmation now rests with the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority. Given his prior confirmation as deputy attorney general and the administration’s claimed success on crime, his path to becoming the permanent attorney general appears clear.
