Committee chairman U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche arrive for Blanche's Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be attorney general, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 15, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Todd Blanche, President Trump's former personal lawyer turned acting attorney general, appeared to catch himself mid-sentence Wednesday during his high-stakes Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) asked the acting attorney general a simple question: "Are you and President Trump friends?"
The question nearly tripped Blanche, who replied, "I'm his lawyer," paused, then corrected, "Was his lawyer."
The stumble landed as ethics questions have dogged Blanche's entire tenure over how closely he's stayed tied to cases touching Trump personally. Blanche's legal maneuvering delayed Trump's sentencing in his New York case until after the 2024 election.
Blanche has served as acting attorney general since April, when Trump ousted Pam Bondi. He faces sharp questioning over the Epstein files, the canceled $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund, and prosecutions of Trump's perceived enemies.
Kennedy: Are you and President Trump friends?
Blanche: I'm his lawyer—was his lawyer pic.twitter.com/V4P1fNezYT
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 15, 2026