Former Attorney General Bill Barr is calling on Senate Republicans to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, arguing the former Trump defense lawyer's close relationship with the president should be viewed as a strength — not a conflict of interest.In a Wall Street Journal opinion column, Barr, who served as attorney general under the first Trump administration, said Blanche should be confirmed, calling him well-qualified and saying he "will run the department as effectively as anyone could under President Trump, providing much-needed leadership and stability."Barr's appeal comes as Blanche faces a potentially difficult confirmation process in the Senate.Republicans hold a 53-seat majority, but several GOP senators have not committed to supporting the nomination.A large part of Barr's argument centered on countering criticism that Blanche's past as President Donald Trump's personal defense attorney makes him too conflicted to lead the Justice Department.Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche arrives for the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Committee Subcommittee hearing titled "Oversight Hearing - Department of Justice" in the Rayburn Building in Washington, D.C., on June 2, 2026.
(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)ACTING AG TODD BLANCHE BELIEVES TRUMP 'ABSOLUTELY' FACED PRISON WITHOUT 2024 ELECTION WIN"Critics say that Mr.Blanche, having served as the president's personal defense lawyer, won't confront the president with hard truths.
Exactly the opposite is true," Barr wrote."A successful criminal-defense lawyer like Mr.Blanche isn't a toady who sugarcoats the truth to his client," Barr continued.
"The job demands regularly confronting strong-willed clients with harsh reality.This necessarily involves clashes, but the lawyer's dogged willingness to anchor his client to reality is what builds trust and makes the relationship effective."Barr wrote that Blanche's established relationship with Trump should be viewed as an advant...