Rep. Jim Jordan blasts GOP holdouts who are blocking ‘outstanding’ AG pick Todd Blanche

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times - Sunday, August 2, 2026

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan on Sunday criticized fellow Republicans who are blocking the Senate’s confirmation of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Mr. Jordan said the Senate’s foot-dragging to confirm an “outstanding” nominee is made even more absurd by the chamber’s willingness to confirm Merrick Garland, former President Joseph R. Biden’s attorney general, who Mr. Jordan blames for targeting pro-life Catholics and parents at school board meetings.

“The idea that they won’t confirm him, and they voted to confirm Merrick Garland, the guy who gave us the [Department of Justice] memo that said, ‘Oh, we’re going to go spy on parents at school board meetings,’” the Ohio Republican said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“The guy who gave us this Justice Department that did the memorandum … but they won’t confirm Todd … it makes no sense,” Mr. Jordan added.

The congressman praised Mr. Blanche’s qualifications and performance, saying no other attorney general in his 19 years in Congress has worked with him as effectively as Mr. Blanche.

Mr. Jordan noted that Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas, who are holding up the nomination, have acknowledged that Mr. Blanche is “highly qualified.”

“I’ve been in Congress now 19 years. I’ve never had an attorney general that I could work with like Todd Blanche. I think he’s doing an outstanding job. And even Senator Tillis and Senator Cornyn have said he’s highly qualified,” he said. “So, they should confirm this guy because he’s doing it out, bringing down crime, going after the fraudsters who’ve been ripping off American tax dollars.”

Mr. Blanche’s confirmation delay is tied to the Trump administration’s proposed anti-weaponization fund and IRS settlement for the Trump family.

The settlement included immunity from prosecution for past tax malfeasance by President Trump and the Trump Organization and the creation of a $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund to compensate victims of overzealous prosecution by the Biden administration.

The proposal for the fund has been scrapped, but Mr. Blanche has refused to say whether it will be reinstated during Mr. Trump’s second term — which Mr. Tillis and Mr. Cornyn oppose.