the todd blanche epstein hearing ran nearly five hours on wednesday, and by the end of it, blanche had said more than he probably wanted to about his ties to trump, and less than survivors in the room wanted to hear about the epstein files.
Five Hours In The Hot Seat
blanche appeared before the senate judiciary committee as trump’s nominee to become permanent attorney general, a job he has already been doing in an acting capacity since pam bondi was fired in april. the hearing was billed as a formality by republicans and a reckoning by democrats, and it ended up being closer to the latter. grassley, the committee chairman, closed the session by telling blanche he had “performed admirably,” but the exchanges leading up to that were far rockier.
The Epstein Files Admission
the most consequential moment of the todd blanche epstein hearing came when blanche directly acknowledged mistakes in how the justice department released files tied to jeffrey epstein. he said “in about 1% of the documents mistakes were made,” referring to a redaction failure that left personal information and images of survivors exposed in the public release. blanche called the release “a herculean task,” reviewing what he said were millions of potentially responsive files after congress passed the epstein transparency act. still, he took responsibility for the errors themselves, telling the committee, “that doesn’t excuse the mistakes, of which i take responsibility.”
The Line He Wouldn’t Cross
despite the apology, blanche would not commit to personally meeting with epstein survivors. senator dick durbin pressed him repeatedly on this point during the todd blanche epstein hearing, asking whether he’d sit down with survivors within 30 days. blanche said he is “prohibited from meeting directly with them” because they’re represented by counsel, though he pledged to make a staffer available. durbin wasn’t satisfied, accusing blanche of “dancing on the head of a pin.”
Survivors In The Room
epstein accuser virginia giuffre’s family was present for the hearing and didn’t hold back afterward. sky roberts, giuffre’s brother, told nbc news the room felt “heavy” and that blanche “failed” to answer any substantive questions. “you had 10 survivors sitting right behind you. this was your opportunity to acknowledge them. you failed to do it again,” roberts said. amanda roberts dismissed blanche’s apology to survivors as “just words,” adding she’d like to see it “in writing.”
The Tax Settlement Question
democrats also used the todd blanche epstein hearing to revisit a justice department settlement that resolved a lawsuit over the leak of trump’s tax returns. senator adam schiff pushed blanche on whether the settlement shields trump, and by extension his children and businesses, from irs liability tied to this year’s tax filings. blanche defended the provision without fully walking back its scope, and separately confirmed that the administration’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” is now “dead.”
“Counsel Does Not Mean A Yes Man”
blanche, who served as trump’s personal defense attorney before becoming acting attorney general, tried to draw a line between his past role and his current one. “president trump trusts me to give him counsel,” he said. “counsel does not mean a ‘yes man.'” at one point he stumbled over the distinction entirely, saying he “is” the president’s lawyer before correcting himself to “was,” adding, “and now i’m the deputy attorney general.” senator cory booker wasn’t buying the reframing, calling blanche the “least qualified person” to lead the doj and warning he would “use that office as a sword” against trump’s political opponents.
The Third Term Question
in one exchange that cut through the partisan back-and-forth, blanche was asked directly whether trump is eligible for a third presidential term. “i don’t believe he is,” blanche replied a rare moment of separation from the president he’s been nominated to serve under.
A Razor Thin Margin
blanche’s confirmation is not guaranteed. republicans hold a narrow majority on the judiciary committee, and that margin got even thinner this week with the sudden death of senator lindsey graham, leaving committee republicans just one vote to lose if any member breaks ranks.
What Happens Next
new mexico’s attorney general has separately accused the justice department of stonewalling a state investigation into epstein, demanding the “complete, unredacted investigative record” and threatening legal action if it isn’t handed over. blanche told the committee the department is “continuing to work with them,” though new mexico’s own letters suggest otherwise. how that dispute plays out, and whether more redaction failures surface, will likely follow blanche into whatever role he ends up holding.
Bottom Line
the todd blanche epstein hearing gave both sides what they came for. republicans got a nominee who held his ground for five hours without a disqualifying gaffe. democrats got new soundbites about redaction failures, a tax settlement that protects trump’s family, and a survivor’s family calling the whole thing “just a show.” what nobody got was a real answer on when, or whether, blanche will sit down with the people most affected by the files his department is still cleaning up.
sources: cbsnews.com, cnn.com, pbs.org, thehill.com
