The Senate Judiciary Committee is taking up Todd Blanche‘s nomination to be attorney general of the United States. Having served as lawyers on that committee as well as for two different attorneys general appointed by President Donald Trump, we agree that he is exceptionally well-qualified to lead the Department of Justice. Blanche should be voted favorably out of the committee, allowing the Senate to promptly confirm him as attorney general.The president, acting through his attorney general, is charged with carrying out the political will of the people. The administration’s renewed focus on core law enforcement responsibilities — and its rollback of regulatory overreach and overcriminalization — is precisely what the electorate demanded when it returned Trump to office. Blanche has been central to delivering on the president’s promises.
Few nominees understand the DOJ — its people, its powers, and its demands — as thoroughly as Blanche. He began his career as a paralegal within the department. After law school, he became a law clerk, then a federal prosecutor, where he earned numerous awards and progressed the old-fashioned way up to manager, and ultimately, to section chief. His up-through-the-ranks story resonates throughout the department because he has walked in so many of its employees’ shoes and appreciates that every role is important to the DOJ’s operation as a well-oiled machine. Importantly, he has also worked the other side of the federal bar as a white-collar defense lawyer at three respected national law firms. He possesses the wisdom and good judgment to be credible, yet the humility to know when to ask for help. In short, he embodies the best qualities of leadership.
