Hirono presses AG nominee Blanche on Trump ties, DOJ ‘weaponization’

WASHINGTON, D.C. (HawaiiNewsNow/AP) – U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, was among several lawmakers who questioned attorney general nominee Todd Blanche Wednesday.

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The former defense attorney for President Donald Trump appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the first step of his confirmation process.

Blanche, the current acting attorney general, drew scrutiny from Democrats over his relationship with Trump, with Hirono questioning his role in alleged weaponization of the Department of Justice.

“At an April 8th press conference, a reporter asked you a question about President Trump’s desire to see his perceived political enemies prosecuted. You answered, ‘That is his right and indeed it is his duty to do that.’ To clarify, Mr. Blanche, do you believe it is the president’s right and duty to order the investigation or prosecution of his perceived enemies, yes or no?” Hirono said.

Blanche responded, “As the president of the United States, under Article II, he’s in charge of the Department of Justice. And so my answer reflects that idea, not that he has a right to go after his political enemies.”

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Regarding cryptocurrency enforcement, Hirono said, “One of your first acts as a deputy attorney general was to issue a memo eviscerating DOJ’s enforcement work against crypto criminals. Crypto crime surged in 2025. Mr. Blanche, are you aware that Americans reported over $11 billion in crypto fraud losses to the FBI last year?”

Blanche responded, “Our crypto enforcement is way up compared to a year and a half ago. So I didn’t eviscerate anything. To the contrary, actually we empowered AUSAs around the country to go after criminals in the right circumstances and we continue to do it.”

Meanwhile, Republican senators mostly offered support for Blanche and defended the Trump administration’s record at the DOJ.

If the nomination clears committee, Blanche will still require approval from the full Senate to be confirmed.

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