Todd Blanche’s Confirmation Would Have Been A Scandal in 1973

The confirmation of Todd Blanche as attorney general of the United States highlights the significant shift President Donald Trump has made in the Overton window for the Justice Department. During Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, Tillis and Cornyn demanded Blanche sign a pledge not to revive Trump's proposed $1.8 billion fund for alleged victims of government persecution.

Blanche initially hesitated but ultimately pledged the fund would not proceed. Meanwhile, the provision shielding Trump family members from IRS audits remained in place, with Blanche offering a "binding written document" outlining coverage. Tillis and Cornyn subsequently assured they would vote for his confirmation. The fact that these vague assurances were enough to secure his confirmation underscores the minimal demands Senate Republicans are making from the administration.

This is particularly concerning given Blanche's apparent lack of substantive statements on restoring the separation between the Oval Office and Justice Department, which was largely intact until the 1970s. Blanche's confirmation emphasizes the erosion of the rule of law within the administration, which has transformed the Justice Department into a tool for targeting opponents and rewarding supporters.

The lessons learned from the Watergate scandal of 1973, when Nixon attempted to silence the DOJ's investigation, have been forgotten. In 1973, only 26% of Americans supported impeachment, even though 71% believed Nixon was guilty. The Watergate hearings, chaired by North Carolina's Sam Ervin, revealed Nixon's abuse of presidential power and his attempt to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who sought access to tape recordings of presidential conversations.

Nixon refused to release the tapes, leading to a constitutional crisis. Blanche's confirmation as attorney general reveals the continued disregard for constitutional norms and the rule of law under the current administration.