PBS News Hour
WATCH: Blanche says he doesn’t believe judges should be impeached for ruling against Trump
- Title
- WATCH: Blanche says he doesn’t believe judges should be impeached for ruling against Trump
- Runtime
- 2:37
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wednesday he does not believe judges should be impeached based on whether they rule against the Trump administration.
“On that you disagree with the president because he believes judges should be impeached for disagreeing with him,” Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii said.
The comments came during Blanche’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Trump has called for the impeachment of several judges. In response, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts made a rare public statement saying that “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April. This is the first of two days of confirmation hearings the committee has scheduled.
Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and ...
- Title
- WATCH: Blanche says he and Trump did not discuss IRS deal
- Runtime
- 1:07
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said he and President Donald Trump did not discuss the Justice Department’s settlement to end a $10 billion lawsuit by Trump against the Internal Revenue Service over the leaking of his tax returns.
The settlement included the creation of a nearly $1.8 billion fund to pay people who say they were victims of government "weaponization.” The fund was scrapped after bipartisan criticism. On Monday, a federal judge said Trump’s lawsuit was filed for an "improper purpose" that misused the court system.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked Blanche during his confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee whether he had spoken to Trump about the settlement.
“No. I did not. He had outside counsel. I did not discuss it with his outside counsel either,” Blanche said. “It was done by other people in the office.”
Blanche added that he spoke with Trump about the settlement when th...
- Title
- WATCH: Senate Democrats react to Blanche's confirmation hearing for attorney general
- Runtime
- 27:36
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
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- Title
- WATCH LIVE: Trump touts battlefield technology investments at Army War College in Pennsylvania
- Runtime
- 1:25:01
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
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- Title
- WATCH: Blanche says he is not friends with President Trump
- Runtime
- 2:41
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asked U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche whether he was friends with President Donald Trump, during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I'm his lawyer,” Blanche said before correcting himself, “was his lawyer.”
Blanche worked as Trump’s defense attorney and represented him in three cases, including the hush money case in New York where Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts.
“I met him as his criminal defense attorney,” Blanche said. “I'm not sure there's very many people who have ever had a criminal defense attorney who calls that person their friend.”
Kennedy then went on to ask Blanche whether he is responsible for all of Trump’s decisions.
“No, Senator I’m not,” Blanche said. He added that he tells the president the truth when asked for his opinion and has at times disagreed with actions Trump has taken.
“Has he ev...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Blumenthal asks Blanche whether federal agents should fire their weapons into cars
- Runtime
- 1:08
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, asked U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche whether he agreed that federal agents should not “fire their weapons into cars unless there is an imminent threat.”
In the past week, federal immigration officers have fatally shot two people during traffic stops.
“There's a well established standard as to when an agent can discharge their firearm, and I think that that's something that that should be followed in every case,” Blanche said during his Wednesday confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blumenthal doubled down, saying the standard “includes not firing weapons into cars.”
“I mean, there's not really a response. It requires federal agents to follow the rules,” Blanche said.
The Department of Homeland Security had sent an internal memo ordering a pause on vehicle stops, but on Wednesday a White House official confirmed to PBS News that the preside...
- Title
- WATCH: Schiff grills Blanche on Trump tax settlement
- Runtime
- 8:08
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., sparred with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday over the Justice Department’s settlement to end President Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
The agreement to end the lawsuit over the leaking of the president's tax returns includes a document providing Trump immunity from tax audits.
Schiff asked Blanche whether the settlement would prevent any audit “with respect to the billions in crypto money he made in his first year as president?”
A federal filing from June showed Trump made more than $1 billion from his family's crypto businesses in 2025.
“It's not forward-looking,” Blanche said. “So to the extent there are taxes filed by the president or his sons or the Trump Organization after the date of that agreement, there's no protection.”
Schiff said that in making the decision to settle the case, Blanche “basically decided that...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Booker says Todd Blanche’s Attorney General nomination 'should fail'
- Runtime
- 2:51
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said he believes Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination “should fail.”
He said Blanche, who has been serving as acting attorney general since April and previously held the role of deputy attorney general, has had the opportunity to show what he would be like in the role.
“So this isn't a confirmation hearing. This is more of a performance review,” Booker said. “And clearly, when it comes to the treatment of Epstein victims, when it comes to politically motivated prosecutions, when it comes from avoiding appearance of impropriety with corporations, you failed.”
Booker said Blanche had made several promises during the Wednesday confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“But we don't need your promises. We have your record,” he said, later adding, “Again and again, you seem to be favoring the interests of a president and the powerful.”
“If your record an...
- Title
- WATCH: Trump says undocumented truck drivers will be replaced with 'proud American veterans'
- Runtime
- 1:26
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
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- Title
- WATCH: Blanche on how government should handle investigations into ICE shootings
- Runtime
- 3:22
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche disagreed Wednesday with Sen. Alex Padilla’s assertion that there hasn’t been justice in the killings of Alex Pretti and Renée Good by ICE agents in Minnesota.
Padilla asked Blanche about the role the Justice Department should play in investigations of federal officers during the acting attorney general's Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday.
Blanche said “the mere passage of time between January and today doesn’t mean there’s no justice” and that “these investigations do take time.”
Padilla, a California Democrat, also mentioned the fatal ICE shootings of Joan Sebastian Guerrero on Monday in Maine and of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo last week in Houston.
“What we have seen is people continuing to die,” Padilla said, “not just in detention facilities, but on the streets of America.”
Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home...
- Title
- WATCH: Trump says 'we're bringing all the big American companies' into Venezuela to drill oil
- Runtime
- 1:30
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
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- Title
- WATCH LIVE: House Oversight Committee holds hearing into emerging fraud threats, role of digital IDs
- Runtime
- 1:51:31
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
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- Title
- WATCH: Booker presses for details about Blanche’s meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell
- Runtime
- 3:04
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., asked U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche on Wednesday for more details from his meeting with convicted child sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend.
The question about Blanche's meeting with Maxwell, over two days in July 2025, came during Blanche's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Booker asked Blanche whether his meeting with Maxwell led to any additional people being charged in the Epstein investigation and whether he, anyone at the Justice Department or anyone associated with President Donald Trump discussed a pardon with Maxwell.
“No,” Blanche said. He also said he couldn’t answer whether his meeting with Maxwell led to any new investigations.
Booker asked whether Blanche was involved in Maxwell’s move from a federal prison in Florida to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas. The transfer took place a week after Blanche’s meetin...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Lee asks Blanche about the Justice Department's efforts to access state voter rolls
- Runtime
- 2:27
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, blamed Democrat-led states and federal courts for leaving the Department of Justice without the ability to enforce the law that makes it illegal for non-U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections.
Noncitizen voting is extremely rare, and “there is no evidence that noncitizen voting has ever been significant enough to impact an election’s outcome,” according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
States are required to maintain their voter lists by adding, removing and updating them to ensure they’re accurate. For example, states audit whether noncitizens are registered to vote or have voted. A 2022 investigation in Georgia found there were 1,634 times noncitizens may have tried to register to vote and all those people were blocked from registering until they provided proof of citizenship.
However, Lee claimed that the Justice Department has no ability to ensure states are maintaining their voter rolls. He pointed to Presid...
- Title
- WATCH: 'We’re not targeting reporters,’ Blanche says after OK'ing subpoenas on AF1 reporting
- Runtime
- 2:15
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department is "not targeting reporters” on Wednesday in response to questioning about New York Times journalists receiving subpoenas for reporting on the defense capabilities of the new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar.
During Blanche's confirmation hearing, Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., raised concerns about the "right of the press to have confidential sources," in light of moves by FBI Director Patel to seek that information.
“The question you want to ask them is, who were their sources? That goes to the heart of the First Amendment,” Welch said.
“The question we want to ask them is, who provided them with classified national security information, which everybody in this body should want to protect,” Blanche said. “I would hope.”
Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objectiv...
- Title
- No source identified as cyclosporiasis case numbers rise
- Runtime
- 1:02
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- There are now nearly 7,000 confirmed or suspected cases of cyclosporiasis nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC said Tuesday that at least 34 states have reported cases of the parasitic intestinal disease. More than 140 people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
The CDC expects cases to rise through the end of August and has issued a new alert to physicians to recommend testing.
National health authorities haven't identified a source of the illness, though health officials in Michigan have suggested lettuce or salad greens as possible sources.
Also Tuesday, Taco Bell said it's removing some ingredients as a precautionary measure.
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- Title
- WATCH: Blanche says he’s trying to let FDA ‘do their work’ on abortion pill for now
- Runtime
- 3:05
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said during his confirmation hearing Wednesday that the Justice Department is trying to let the FDA “do their work” related to the abortion drug mifepristone.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., had asked why Blanche isn’t putting President Donald Trump’s rules in place, leaving the ones set under the Biden administration in effect.
Blanche declined to discuss his litigation strategy but said they “very much believe that the Biden rules were wrong” and said the Justice Deparment has “to have studies that we can defend in court.”
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- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Hirono questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 10:56
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators are likely to question Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to st...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Moody questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 10:51
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Ashley Moody, R- Fla., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators are likely to question Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to str...
- Title
- New York issues moratorium on new large data centers
- Runtime
- 0:58
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- New York is now the first state to issue a moratorium on building new large data centers.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Tuesday that pauses new construction of so-called hyperscale centers for a year.
The delay is meant to give the state time to assess the impact of such facilities on the environment.
Large data centers require a massive amount of energy and water to cool the thousands of servers they house, but tech companies argue that such a pause hurts job growth and has a negative impact on the nation's artificial intelligence growth.
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- Title
- WATCH LIVE: Todd Blanche testifies in confirmation hearing for attorney general
- Runtime
- 5:06:12
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
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- Title
- WATCH: Senate Democratic leaders address Iran war, blocking military spending act
- Runtime
- 10:34
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
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- Title
- WATCH LIVE: Senate GOP leaders may address Trump strikes on Iran, confirmation hearings
- Runtime
- 8:50
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
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- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Cruz questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 10:55
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators questioned Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to strong bipartisan b...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Schiff questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 12:52
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators questioned Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to strong bipartis...
- Title
- WATCH: Padilla presses Blanche on monthslong delays affecting grants for domestic violence services
- Runtime
- 2:32
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday said he was “not aware” of staff layoffs and service reductions affecting domestic violence organizations that have come from delays to grants administered by the Office on Violence Against Women, a component of the Justice Department.
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., asked Blanche during his confirmation hearing if he knew about a backlog of notifications to grant recipients for awards intended to begin Oct. 1 of last year, as well as notices for funding opportunities that are supposed to begin Oct. 1 of this year that have not yet been posted.
Padilla also asked if Blanche was aware that offices from both political parties have asked about the delays and have not been provided a concrete timeline, to which Blanche responded, “that’s not true.”
“We're doing it every day on a rolling basis, we're caught up to last year's, we’re moving forward and we anticipate having all of them done by t...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Hawley questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 11:03
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators questioned Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to strong bipartisan ...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Welch questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 10:54
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators are likely to question Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to strong...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Padilla questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 11:17
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators questioned Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to strong biparti...
- Title
- WATCH: Cassidy calls out ‘damn lies’ HHS nominee shared to undermine vaccine trust
- Runtime
- 7:19
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
Sign up for Here's The Deal with Lisa Desjardins: https://to.pbs.org/41q6E8i
Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe
PBS News podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
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- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Lee questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 11:31
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators questioned Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to strong bipartisan ba...
- Title
- WATCH LIVE: Vought testifies on Consumer Financial Protection Bureau budget amid agency cuts
- Runtime
- 3:01:51
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
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- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Booker questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 12:34
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators questioned Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to strong bipartisan...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Tillis questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 10:26
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators questioned Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to strong bipartisan...
- Title
- WATCH: Whitehouse tells Blanche his Justice Department is ‘most troubled’ in history
- Runtime
- 6:28
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., criticized Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche during his confirmation hearing Wednesday, calling the Justice Department “the most troubled” in history.
Whitehouse referred to a federal judge's ruling on Monday that blasted President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leaking of his tax returns. The judge said the lawsuit was filed for an "improper purpose,” characterized it as self-dealing and recommended disciplinary action against the attorneys.
Whitehouse described the lawsuit and resulting settlement as collusion.
“The problem here, Mr. Blanche, is that it's not just that one occasion,” Whitehouse said during the hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Between judges appointed by every president harshly criticizing the department's work in your tenure. Grand juries rejecting indictments. Judicial findings of outright misconduct. Capable lawyers fleeing the stinki...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Britt questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 11:24
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators are likely to question Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to stron...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Blumenthal questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 12:46
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators are likely to question Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due ...
- Title
- WATCH: Ossoff says Clayton's testimony on Gabbard presence at Georgia raid 'lacks credibility’
- Runtime
- 3:15
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Jay Clayton largely side-stepped questions from Sen. Jon Ossoff about former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s presence at the FBI’s raid of a Georgia elections warehouse during his Senate confirmation hearing to replace her in the role.
When the Georgia Democrat asked whether Clayton was aware that Gabbard had been present at the Fulton County raid in January, Clayton said he was informed by Ossoff in a meeting the day before and that “it was the first time that in my recollection I've thought about it recently.”
“Your answers lack credibility. Your testimony lacks credibility,” Ossoff responded. “You’re being evasive and you’re not being candid or forthright, and everybody across the country is going to watch this and know that.”
Ossoff also asked whether Clayton knew that Gabbard had testified that her presence at the raid was requested by President Donald Trump, to which the nominee said he did not know that...
- Title
- WATCH LIVE: Erica Schwartz testifies in confirmation hearing for CDC director
- Runtime
- 2:32:34
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
Sign up for Here's The Deal with Lisa Desjardins: https://to.pbs.org/41q6E8i
Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe
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Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6
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- Title
- WATCH LIVE: Fed chair Kevin Warsh testifies on monetary policy in Senate Banking hearing
- Runtime
- 2:05:29
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
Sign up for Here's The Deal with Lisa Desjardins: https://to.pbs.org/41q6E8i
Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe
PBS News podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS News at https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6
Follow us:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbsnews
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Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/newshour
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newshour/
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Ossoff questions Clayton in national intelligence confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 6:20
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., questioned director of national intelligence nominee Jay Clayton in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
President Donald Trump nominated Clayton for the role after Tulsi Gabbard announced she was resigning in late May. Trump’s pick for acting national intelligence director, federal housing official Bill Pulte, was met with bipartisan backlash for his lack of relevant experience. Trump forced the delay of Clayton’s original confirmation hearing three weeks ago.
Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York as well as a former SEC chair, may face questioning about his independence from the president and concerns about election interference heading into November’s midterm elections.
Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
Sign up for He...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Whitehouse questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 12:24
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators are likely to question Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due t...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Coons questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 11:54
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators questioned Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to strong bipartisan...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Klobuchar questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 11:03
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators are likely to question Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to st...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Warner questions Clayton on national security threats, Gabbard's Fulton County raid
- Runtime
- 4:50
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., questioned director of national intelligence nominee Jay Clayton in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
President Donald Trump nominated Clayton for the role after Tulsi Gabbard announced she was resigning in late May. Trump’s pick for acting national intelligence director, federal housing official Bill Pulte, was met with bipartisan backlash for his lack of relevant experience. Trump forced the delay of Clayton’s original confirmation hearing three weeks ago.
Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York as well as a former SEC chair, may face questioning about his independence from the president and concerns about election interference heading into November’s midterm elections.
Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
Newsletters:...
- Title
- WATCH: Blanche says he won’t discuss talks he’s had with Trump about anti-weaponization fund
- Runtime
- 2:50
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., asked U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche whether he advised President Donald Trump against a nearly $1.8 billion fund to pay people who say they were victims of government "weaponization.”
The fund, which has since been scrapped, was part of a settlement to end a $10 billion lawsuit by Trump against the Internal Revenue Service over the leaking of his tax returns.
“I will not talk about communications I have with the president,” Blanche said.
Earlier in the confirmation hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Blanche said he only discussed the fund with Trump once the administration determined it would not move forward.
Coons asked Blanche why the department had not put in writing that the fund is not being created.
Blanche said the department has put it in writing in several court filings, adding that the reason there has not been a formal declaration “is because there's ...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Kennedy questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 11:30
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators are likely to question Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to stron...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Schmitt questions Blanche in attorney general confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 10:35
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., questioned U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April.
Senators questioned Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to strong bipartisan...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Reed questions Clayton in national intelligence confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 6:12
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., questioned director of national intelligence nominee Jay Clayton in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
President Donald Trump nominated Clayton for the role after Tulsi Gabbard announced she was resigning in late May. Trump’s pick for acting national intelligence director, federal housing official Bill Pulte, was met with bipartisan backlash for his lack of relevant experience. Trump forced the delay of Clayton’s original confirmation hearing three weeks ago.
Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York as well as a former SEC chair, may face questioning about his independence from the president and concerns about election interference heading into November’s midterm elections.
Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
Newsletters: ...
- Title
- WATCH: Sen. Young questions Clayton in national intelligence confirmation hearing
- Runtime
- 5:27
- Date posted
- 11 days ago
- Description
- Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., questioned director of national intelligence nominee Jay Clayton in a confirmation hearing Wednesday held by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
President Donald Trump nominated Clayton for the role after Tulsi Gabbard announced she was resigning in late May. Trump’s pick for acting national intelligence director, federal housing official Bill Pulte, was met with bipartisan backlash for his lack of relevant experience. Trump forced the delay of Clayton’s original confirmation hearing three weeks ago.
Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York as well as a former SEC chair, may face questioning about his independence from the president and concerns about election interference heading into November’s midterm elections.
Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
Newsletters:...
