Todd’s Triumph: Blanche Bests Leftist Smear Campaign

In the early morning hours of Saturday, the Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as the 88th Attorney General of the United States. Even Hollywood producers would turn down this story as a script. A paralegal at the Justice Department who worked his way through law school at night now leads that same agency. Blanche shows what standing up for principles and against smears brings: rich rewards.

Before the public ever heard of him, Blanche had amassed a distinguished resume. He clerked for two federal judges in the Southern District of New York, one of the premier clerkship destinations in the nation. Both wound up serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit: Judge Denny Chin, appointed by President Barack Obama, and Judge Joseph Bianco, appointed by President Donald Trump. These two judges, at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, recognized early how special a lawyer Blanche would be. After a brief stint in private practice, Blanche returned to public service as a federal prosecutor in New York, spending approximately a decade prosecuting drug dealers, murderers, gangsters, corrupt cops, and other criminals unfit for society.

Blanche then hit the legal jackpot: a partnership at the megafirm then known as Cadwalader. He had it made in the shade, decades of million-dollar checks ahead. His family would enjoy financial security for generations. He then surrendered it all and put everything on the line to stop an injustice: the persecution in the form of lawfare against President Trump. Thanks to the brilliance of Blanche and other stars such as now-Solicitor General John Sauer and Third Circuit Judge Emil Bove, leftist prosecutors from Jack Smith to Fani Willis and Nathan Wade to Alvin Bragg and Matthew Colangelo failed to put President Trump in prison for the rest of his life with their unprecedented, republic-ending, bogus felony charges. Blanche surrendered his partnership and millions of dollars without knowing whether he would succeed, and that sacrifice illustrates his special quality.

Last year, the Senate confirmed Blanche as Deputy Attorney General, where he delivered excellent service. After the departure of Attorney General Pam Bondi, another bold and fearless warrior who brought serious and much-needed reforms to the Justice Department, Blanche assumed the position of Acting Attorney General and led the Justice Department skillfully through challenging times. President Trump then wisely nominated Blanche to serve as Attorney General on a permanent basis. Leftists and some Republicans, however, did everything they could to thwart the nomination. National Review, for instance, editorialized against it, even though William F. Buckley’s magazine never took that position against Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland’s nomination.

By far the worst attack on Blanche came from the judiciary. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams of Florida, a radical Obama appointee, delivered a judicial ambush two days before Blanche’s confirmation hearing. A group of former federal judges who were not parties to the case had filed a brief objecting to a settlement between Trump and the government over the persecution against him. Williams had dismissed the case; yet she still authored an absurd 56-page order based on those former judges’ filing. She bashed Blanche and others and referred them to their respective state bars. Williams’ flagrant attempt to interfere in the confirmation process warrants impeachment and removal from office.

Some senators had concerns about the fund designed to compensate victims of the weaponized Justice Department under the Biden administration. To their credit, Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas, two Judiciary Committee Republicans essential to advancing Blanche’s nomination, worked with Blanche in good faith to resolve the problem. Both sides engaged in constructive dialogue, and the senators, who have had a rocky relationship with the president, wound up supporting Blanche. For this display of maturity, they deserve enormous gratitude. They placed the good of the nation above their personal grievances.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana also deserves enormous credit. Thanks to the profoundly unfortunate defections of Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Cassidy cast the deciding vote on confirmation because Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is recovering from illness. Trump had led the effort to primary Cassidy earlier this year, but Cassidy — like Tillis and Cornyn — showed tremendous maturity in setting aside any animus toward the president when he voted for Blanche.

One more group deserves massive credit: ordinary citizens. The Article III Project, teaming up with Steve Bannon’s War Room posse, proudly led the fight to confirm Blanche. We humbly thank everyone who read and spread our opinion pieces, as well as those who participated in our action campaign by contacting their senators. The Republic demands the participation of its citizenry, and people came out in droves to support Blanche. You made the difference — take pride in that monumental achievement, because Blanche will vindicate your diligence with exemplary service.

Saturday marked a day of celebration of Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation. It also marks the four-year anniversary of Biden’s unprecedented, lawless, highly destructive raid on President Trump’s residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. Unfortunately, the Senate has left for a five-week recess. The Justice Department, however, takes no recess. Criminals never stop, and Blanche will continue to work alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Trump’s other all-star team members to lock them up. Civil rights violators never stop either. Blanche, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, and their teams will pursue them with indefatigable energy. 

Blanche will also lead the charge to hold anti-Trump lawfare perpetrators accountable, alongside Special Counsel Joe DiGenova and Jason Reding Quiñones, who serves as Trump’s U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

With his Senate confirmation, Attorney General Todd Blanche commands the Justice Department for as long as the president desires. Godspeed to this noble public servant, who proves that hard work and principled leadership produce rich rewards. Justice is definitely coming. The Article III Project will make damn sure that happens.

Mike Davis is the founder and president of the Article III Project.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.