Todd Blanche's Attorney General nomination challenged over weaponization fund and abortion‑pill policy

President Donald Trump nominated acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for a permanent post, prompting a contentious Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Blanche declared the $1.776 billion "Anti‑Weaponization Fund" — intended to compensate individuals claiming political targeting — "dead," sparking a dispute with Republican Senator John Cornyn, who questioned whether a written settlement still required its creation.

During the hearing, Republican senators also pressed Blanche to reconsider the Department of Justice’s interpretation of the 1873 Comstock Act, which currently permits nationwide mailing of the abortion medication mifepristone. Senator Ted Cruz and Senator John Cornyn secured Blanche’s promise to review the statute, raising concerns that a revised reading could restrict mail‑order abortion pills.

Separately, a federal judge ordered Blanche to produce files related to the Epstein case under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Blanche sought to avoid a $1,000‑a‑day contempt fine, labeling the sanction request “absurd.”

Trump’s White House has also reportedly contacted Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis to win their votes, as a single Republican dissent could block the confirmation.