At a fiery hearing, President Trump’s pick for Attorney General faces tough questions

Summary

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Consider This from NPR: At a fiery hearing, President Trump’s pick for Attorney General faces tough questions

Date: July 15, 2026
Host: Scott Detrow
Guests/Reporters: Ryan Lucas (NPR Justice Correspondent), Ava Berger (NPR Reporter)
Main Theme:
This episode delves into the high-stakes confirmation hearing of Todd Blanche, President Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, unpacking the political tensions, questions of independence, and controversy centered around Blanche’s record—including his prior role as Trump’s defense lawyer and his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

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Episode Overview

The episode centers on Todd Blanche's contentious Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing. The hosts explore concerns about his independence from President Trump, policy decisions during his interim tenure, and the impact on survivors of the Epstein scandal. Key voices include Democrats critical of Blanche, Republicans weighing their votes, and Epstein survivors sharing their personal stories and advocacy work.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Blanche’s Background and the Stakes of the Hearing

• Blanche is a former DOJ prosecutor, later Trump’s personal defense lawyer, then acting Attorney General, now up for the permanent role ([00:13], [00:30]).
• His nomination is described as "controversial" due to his ties to Trump and criticized DOJ decisions ([00:42]-[01:05]).
• The political context is crucial: a slim Republican Senate majority makes every vote count ([03:05]).

2. Criticisms from Democrats

• Democrats accuse Blanche of “weaponizing” the Justice Department against Trump’s perceived enemies.
• Handling of the Epstein files and firing of non-partisan DOJ employees are pointed to as problematic ([03:14]).
• Adam Schiff (D-CA) remarks:

  "He's approached every issue that's come before him through that lens of protecting his client. His client should be the American people, but he views his client as Donald Trump." ([00:56], Adam Schiff)

3. Blanche’s Defense and Republican Dynamics

• Blanche touts his record on fighting violent crime, cartels, and launching a new DOJ fraud division ([03:41]).
• Attempts, at times subtly, to distance himself from Trump’s more controversial moves, such as blanket pardons for January 6 rioters:

  "The president has the constitutional authority to grant those pardons. But Blanche also said that he himself did not celebrate them." ([04:06], paraphrased by Ryan Lucas)

• Independence questioned directly—even by Republicans. Notably, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) asks:

  Kennedy: "Are you and President Trump friends?"
  Blanche: "I'm his lawyer. Was his lawyer, and now I'm the deputy Attorney General." ([04:23]-[04:46])

• Scott Detrow notes a telling "slip of the tongue" when Blanche refers to himself in the present tense as Trump's lawyer ([04:50]).

4. The Epstein Files and DOJ Agreement with Trump

• Blanche’s handling of the DOJ’s settlement with Trump over IRS/Treasury audits is scrutinized. The controversial $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" and a sweeping immunity from tax audits remain flashpoints ([05:01]).
• Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is skeptical, suggesting the fund's "dead" status could be reversed ([05:33]).
• Support among Republicans like Thom Tillis (R-NC) appears more secure.

5. Survivor Testimony and Emotional Realities

• The hearing is attended by about 10 Epstein abuse survivors, giving emotional weight to the proceedings ([06:35]).

• NPR's Ava Berger spotlights Danny Benske, an Epstein survivor and witness at the hearing. Benske describes being drawn into advocacy through trauma and recounts her own story:

  "There's no real escaping, you know." ([07:15], Danny Benske) "When people ask you to recount your abuse... it feels like you're walking into your own com[a]." ([07:48], Danny Benske)

• Despite DOJ document releases, survivors note a lack of meaningful prosecutions apart from Ghislaine Maxwell ([08:26]).

• Annie Farmer, another survivor, highlights the need to place the Epstein case in a wider context:

  "I want people to understand it as part of a wider issue." ([09:32], Annie Farmer)

6. The Ongoing Toll of Advocacy

• Benske describes the emotional and physical exhaustion of advocacy, likening survivors' connections to a "family...created out of so much pain" ([09:42]).
• She also expresses the nuanced struggle of living with and beyond the "Epstein survivor" label:

  “We do have kids. We do have lives. We are real people...and yet again, it feels like Jeffrey has a way of constantly derailing your life.” ([10:37], Danny Benske) "Maybe someday they'll remove the name Epstein from Epstein Survivors, she says. But for now, he's still as present in their lives as ever." ([10:50], Narrator paraphrasing Benske)

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Notable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Adam Schiff’s Critique:
  "His client should be the American people, but he views his client as Donald Trump." (00:56)
• Sen. Kennedy’s Question and Blanche’s Response:
  "Are you and President Trump friends?" — "I'm his lawyer. Was his lawyer, and now I'm the deputy Attorney General." (04:23-04:46)
• Slip of the Tongue:
  Scott Detrow notes Blanche referring to himself as Trump's current lawyer: "Interesting slip of the tongue there, perhaps, right?" (04:50)
• Survivor Danny Benske on Trauma:
  "When people ask you to recount your abuse, it feels like you're walking into your own com[a]..." (07:48)
• Survivor Annie Farmer’s Perspective:
  "I want people to understand it [Epstein case] as part of a wider issue." (09:32)
• Benske on the Perpetual Impact of Epstein:
  "It feels like Jeffrey has a way of constantly derailing your life." (10:37)

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Important Segment Timestamps

| Time | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Opening summary and stakes of the hearing | | 03:05 | Ryan Lucas joins to discuss the political landscape and Blanche’s path to approval | | 04:23 | Q&A on Blanche’s independence from Trump | | 05:33 | Discussion of DOJ-Trump settlement and GOP concerns | | 06:35 | Epstein survivors’ attendance and testimony coverage begins | | 07:31 | Survivor Danny Benske shares her backstory and advocacy experience | | 09:08 | Discussion between survivors Danny Benske & Annie Farmer on wider implications | | 10:37 | Benske reflects on the personal impact of advocacy |

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Episode Tone and Takeaways

The episode maintains NPR's measured, empathetic, and investigative tone. While persistently neutral, host Scott Detrow and reporters foreground tensions in the nomination, centering survivor experiences and highlighting the partisan stakes. The episode contrasts political maneuvering with the raw, personal realities facing abuse survivors.

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Summary

This episode brings listeners inside a critical and controversial Congressional hearing—one that tests democratic norms, survivors' hopes for justice, and the very independence of the Department of Justice itself. Through sharp political analysis and deeply personal survivor voices, it asks: Can the nation’s top legal official truly serve the public when his loyalty to the president is in question, and what does that mean for justice in cases as fraught as the Epstein scandal?

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Transcript

[Scott Detrow]

It's Consider this, where every day we go deep on one big news story today, a high stakes confirmation hearing for President Trump's controversial attorney general nominee.

[Ryan Lucas]

I'm here today to earn your trust once more.

[Scott Detrow]

Todd Blanche appeared today before the Senate Judiciary Committee. He's a former federal prosecutor who served as President Trump's personal defense lawyer. Blanche is the acting attorney general and he is trying to convince lawmakers on Capitol Hill that he deserves to keep the job. Officially.

[Ryan Lucas]

I rose through the ranks of the Department of Justice as a line prosecutor, then a division chief, then as of last year, deputy attorney general and now acting attorney general.

[Scott Detrow]

But Blanche's nomination has faced pushback.

[Ryan Lucas]

He's never been able to shed the role of Donald Trump defender. DONALD trump, CRIMINAL Defense Lawyer that's Adam

[Scott Detrow]

Schiff, Democratic senator from California who sits on the Judiciary Committee, speaking to NPR before the confirmation hearing Wednesday morning.

[Ryan Lucas]

He's approached every issue that's come before him through that lens of protecting his client. His client should be the American people, but he views his client as Donald Trump.

[Scott Detrow]

Trump's nominee is facing serious questions ranging from the politicization of the Justice Department to how he handled the Epstein files. Consider this. Todd Blanche is Trump's pick for the top job doj, but his nomination comes with a checkered record that will be at the center of this hearing. What did we learn after the. From npr? I'm Scott Detrow.

[NPR Announcer]

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[Ryan Lucas]

It's the experience we're having right now,

[Danny Benske]

what it is like to eat chocolate

[Ryan Lucas]

or to look at the blue sky.

[NPR Announcer]

So how do we know who or what is conscious? Check out the new ways scientists are finding to measure the elusive phenomenon on shortwave. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Terry Gross]

Hi, it's Terry Gross, host of FRESH AIR. Hey, take a break from the 24 hour news cycle with us and listen to long form interviews with your favorite authors, actors, filmmakers, comedians and musicians. The people making the art that nourishes us and speaks to our times. So listen to the FRESH AIR podcast from NPR and whyy.

[Scott Detrow]

It's Consider this from npr. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch was on camera Capitol Hill Wednesday for his confirmation hearing to lead the Justice Department. NPR justice correspondent Ryan Lucas was watching and joins us now. Hey, Ryan.

[Ryan Lucas]

Hi there.

[Scott Detrow]

High stakes hearing for Blanche. Republicans have a very slim majority in the Senate, which means his path to confirmation is pretty narrow. How did he try and make his case today?

[Ryan Lucas]

Well, look, Democrats are united in their opposition to Blanche's nomination. They say he's weaponized the department to go after President Trump's perceived enemies. They criticize his handling of the Epstein files, the firing of apolitical career employees at the Justice Department Department. The list really goes on and on. But for better or worse, when it comes to this confirmation, Blanche knows he really only has to worry about keeping all of the Republican senators on board.

[Scott Detrow]

How did he go about doing that, then?

[Ryan Lucas]

Well, he defended his track record. He tried to talk up the department's efforts to combat violent crime, to go after drug cartels and gangs. He also talked about what the department has been doing to fight fraud. And on that front, he pointed to the new fraud division. The department has stood up under this administration. Now, what was notable to me is that Blanche appeared a couple of times subtly try to distance himself from some of the president's controversial actions. One example being the president's blanket pardons for January 6th rioters. Blanche told senators the president has the constitutional authority to grant those pardons. But Blanche also said that he himself did not celebrate them.

[Scott Detrow]

And that gets to the core question here, right? The question of whether Blanche and this Justice Department can be independent from this White House.

[Ryan Lucas]

You're right. That absolutely is an overarching concern, certainly for Democrats about Blanche, in part because Blanche previously served as President Trump's personal defense attorney. And ironically, it was a question from a Republican, Louisiana's John Kennedy, that was perhaps most revealing on this issue. Let's listen. Are you and President Trump friends? I'm his lawyer. Was his lawyer, and now I'm the deputy Attorney general.

[Scott Detrow]

Interesting slip of the tongue there, perhaps, right?

[Ryan Lucas]

Yes. And Democrats certainly would argue that Blanche continues to act like President Trump's personal attorney, to put the president's interests first and the public interest second. And one thing that they point to is the Justice Department's agreement with Trump to end his lawsuit against the IRS over his leaked tax returns. That settlement, of course, included the creation of a $1.8 billion anti weaponization fund. Blanche reiterated today that that that fund is dead. But it also includes a sweeping immunity agreement for Trump, his family and businesses from audits of past tax returns, and that very much remains in place.

[Scott Detrow]

And one of the notable things about the response to that fund was the concern that so many Republic. What did they ask about today?

[Ryan Lucas]

Well, Texas John Cornyn is one of the committee Republicans who has spoken out about this and he really dug down on this settlement agreement today. He noted even though Blanche says the anti weaponization fund is dead, Cornyn pointed out that language of the agreement itself would indicate that that fund could be resurrected. That was clearly a concern for Cornyn. And afterwards Cornyn told reporters that he's still undecided on Blanche's nomination. The other committee Republican who was seen as a potential no vote is North Carolina's Thom Tillis. But he told Blanche during the hearing that Blanche was doing a great job. So Tillis appears to be leaning toward supporting this nomination. Looking ahead, Blanche needs the support of every Republican on the committee to advance his nomination to the full Senate for a vote. So the margins here are very, very tight. The stakes, of course, are high because of how important this job is to the president, to his agenda. But also it's worth remembering this is very important to the rule of law in this country.

[Scott Detrow]

That is NPR justice correspondent Ryan Lucas. Thank you so much.

[Ryan Lucas]

Thank you, Todd.

[Scott Detrow]

Blanche's handling of the files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were front and center Wednesday. About 10 survivors of Epstein's abuse were in the room for the hearing. NPR's Ava Berger shares the experience of one of them.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

On a recent morning at home in New Jersey, Danny Benske and her son sat at their kitchen table along with two stuffed bunnies and a Pokemon ball. She's helping six year old Dax write an end of year thank you note for his kindergarten teacher.

[Danny Benske]

Yeah, this is going to get to the top of you totally. So I think thank you for being there goes on this side.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

And I think Bensky is 39 with bright blonde hair. She's full of energy and smiles. There are a million thoughts racing through her mind.

[Danny Benske]

There's no real escaping, you know.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

Bensky is scheduled to be a witness for the Democrats at Todd Blanche's confirmation hearing. And by escaping, Bensky means that that advocacy work now revolves around the trauma that left her with a diagnosis of PTSD.

[Danny Benske]

I met Jeffrey Epstein in 2004. I was there for roughly the year.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

Bensky says Epstein began abusing her when she was 17 and a ballet dancer in New York. She gave Epstein massages in his penthouse. And that, she says, escalated into him asking her to undress.

[Danny Benske]

When people ask you to recount your abuse, a lot of the time for survivors, it feels like you're walking into your own com because you tried so hard to avoid what was happening actively to you, and now you're trying to remember all the parts that you blacked out.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

Bensky's dining room table is covered with photos of her dressed in black leotards and pink tights. They're a reminder of the girl she was before and then after Epstein came into her life. As she talked, Benskey flipped through the photos.

[Danny Benske]

I get really sad for the kid and for, like, the person that I think I probably could have been if I stuck with dance in the way that I originally, you know, intended.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

Last September, Bensky joined a prominent group of Epstein survivors advocating for justice. Since then, the Department of Justice has released millions of documents related to Epstein. But still, no one other than Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, has been tried and sentenced. Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

[Danny Benske]

What's happening?

[Annie Farmer]

Hi.

[Danny Benske]

Good morning.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

In early June, Benske met up with fellow survivor Annie Farmer. The two were in a crowded hotel lobby before taking the stage at a conference in D.C. with other advocates. Farmer has testified twice in court about Epstein and Maxwell's abuse. She says before Congress required the release of the Epstein files, I came in

[Annie Farmer]

with a heavy amount of skepticism and now, you know, it doesn't feel like enough. But I think also it's something that we didn't have for a long time.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

As the pair talked, they laughed and joked, like about how a photo of Bensky's Chihuahua was redacted in the files, but not Bensky's private information.

[Danny Benske]

You're either crying laughing or you're crying sad, right? And I would rather be crying laughing than crying sad.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

For Farmer, the advocacy is now rooted in a greater cause.

[Annie Farmer]

People get so in the weeds and focused on just one case. And so I think that's frustrating. I want people to understand it as part of a wider issue.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

These days in D.C. are long and emotionally draining. The conference was an all day affair of panels.

[Danny Benske]

When survivors speak, change happens.

[Annie Farmer]

Thank you all.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

The survivors were constantly being pulled to the side to meet fellow activists and local officials like New Mexico's attorney general. For some, the emotional toll manifested physically. One woman spent hours throwing up and Bensky ran around fighting crackers and a seltzer. It's this family they created out of so much pain that keeps them going. She said, hey, Mom.

[Danny Benske]

Hey, Mom. Can I run ahead?

[Terry Gross]

Yeah, you can run ahead.

[Danny Benske]

Go ahead.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

Back at home, Bensky sometimes wish he could spend all day in bed watching crappy TV after these trips, like the recent one to D.C. but Dax needs his mom to walk him to school.

[Danny Benske]

And this is, this is my playground. This is your playground. This is where I get recess.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

Bensky drops into her local coffee shop on her way home, where the barista knows she's a Epstein survivor. She says it can be frustrating.

[Danny Benske]

We do have kids. We do have lives. We are real people. Like I again, like I was a dance teacher, choreographer. Like that has always been my passion. And yet again, it feels like Jeffrey has a way of constantly derailing your life.

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

Maybe someday they'll remove the name Epstein from Epstein Survivors, she says. But for now, he's still as present in their lives as ever.

[Scott Detrow]

This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam, Megan Lim and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. Our director is Jonas Adams. It was edited by Maureen Pow, Anna Yukonanoff and Tin Beat Ermias. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning. It's consider this from npr. I'm Scott Detrow.

[Ryan Lucas]

This season on Planet Money Summer School, we go to China, one of the world's biggest economies. And what we learned is Americans are

[Narrator/Reporter (Ava Berger)]

crazy, Chinese are crazy.

[Ryan Lucas]

These are two countries full of these crazy hustlers. The US And China are more alike than you might think. On Planet Money Summer School, a strange lesson about success, how to handle the downsides of progress. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts you know Every

[Annie Farmer]

day on Up First, NPR's Golden Globe nominated morning news podcast. We bring you three essential stories. the heart of each story are questions. What really happened? What really mattered? What happens next? At npr, we stand for your right to be curious and to follow the facts. Follow up first wherever you get your podcasts and start your day knowing what matters and why.