Blanche Faces Capitol Hill Storm Over Epstein Redactions and Trump Ties

Mon Sep 14 2026 09:43:03 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Acting AG Todd Blanche answers tough Senate questions about redacted Epstein files, his ties to Trump, and a controversial tax settlement.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche held a heated confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, facing bipartisan grilling on his prior relationship with Donald Trump, the handling of Jeffery Epstein files, and a disputed tax settlement. Senators questioned whether Blanche could remain impartial, the extent of the Red‑acted documents, and the status of the proposed "anti‑weaponisation" fund. Blanche apologized for mistakes in the redactions, reaffirmed his non‑friendship with Trump, and said the fund was dead. He also clarified that President Trump is ineligible to seek a third term under constitutional law. The Judiciary Committee remains unsettled on his confirmation, with some Republican senators still skeptical.

Blanche Faces Capitol Hill Storm Over Epstein Redactions and Trump Ties

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche was grilled in a packed Senate Judiciary hearing on Wednesday as he vied for a permanent appointment to lead the nation’s top law‑enforcement agency. Senators pushed him on everything from his close legal work with former President Donald Trump to the mishandling of the Justice Department’s massive trove of Jeffery Epstein files.

Tense questions about personal ties to Trump

The most heated line of questioning came from Republican Senator John Kennedy, who asked Blanche, "Are you friends with Trump?" Blanche replied, "I am his lawyer – was his lawyer. And now I am the deputy attorney general." The testimony highlighted Blanche’s role as Trump’s chief counsel in three of the four major criminal cases before the 2024 election, most famously the New York criminal trial.

The putative "anti‑weaponisation" fund

Just before the hearing, a federal judge voided a settlement between Trump’s businesses and the IRS that had created a $1.7 billion fund intended to protect people who believed they were unfairly targeted by the government. Many senators pressed Blanche to confirm that the promised fund was dead. He answered, "I am confident it will not," and warned that it should never be paid out.

Redactions and apologies over Epstein files

The Justice Department was criticized for the slow release of millions of Epstein documents and for extensive redactions. Blanche described the task of redacting six million pages in a short period as "Herculean," noting that about 1 % of the redactions needed correction and that dozens of lawyers were on call. A group of survivors, wearing T‑shirts emblazoned with the redacted pages, protested his testimony.

When asked if he would apologize to Epstein’s survivors for the mishandling of the files, Blanche replied, "I will absolutely say that any mistake that we made should not have been made. And I very much apologise."

Lawyer’s objections to probing questions

Blanche sometimes responded with lawyerly firmness. He described a Democratic Senator’s query about FBI Director Kash Patel’s fitness for office as "an extraordinarily obnoxious question," and contrasted it with a probing remark from Senator Cory Booker on a proposed media merger, which he answered for a flick.

Confirmation still on the line

The Judiciary Committee remains split. Senator John Cornyn of Texas still has reservations, while Senator Thom Tillis is uncertain even though it appears the controversial fund will not advance. The next step will be a committee vote to consider Blanche’s nomination, followed by a full Senate vote.

The outcome will decide whether the nation’s law‑enforcement leader will be able to shape policy during the pivotal months leading up to 2028, amid ongoing questions about Trump’s eligibility for a third presidential term.