During a heated confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche found himself in a verbal tussle with Democratic senators over a variety of hot-button topics, including the conduct of President Trump and the activities of FBI Director Kash Patel.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island, displaying a stern demeanor, confronted Blanche with a direct inquiry: “How long do you plan to indulge that Kash Patel fellow? Are you comfortable with his frequent flights? Can you assure us he’s staying sober while on duty?”
The senator pressed on, asking pointedly, “Are you certain that none of his travel is simply an excuse for leisure pursuits like snorkeling or attending Olympic events, or perhaps visiting personal acquaintances?”
Stay updated with The Post’s ongoing coverage for in-depth insights into President Trump and U.S. political news.
In response, Blanche didn’t mince words, calling the senator’s line of questioning “extremely distasteful.” He firmly stated, “I have complete confidence in Director Patel and his unwavering commitment to his responsibilities.”
Whitehouse retorted, “Great, you get to own that.”
Earlier in their exchange, Whitehouse threw down a stack of papers detailing various requests he made for files from the DOJ and demanded that Blanche respond to them.
He then ticked through indictments that judges tossed out, and raised concerns that they were politically motivated.
“That’s not reflective of the hundreds of thousands of indictments and informations that have been filed,” Blanche countered.
“While cherry-picking a few isolated words from district court or magistrate judges in certain districts is something that you’re entitled to do, it’s absolutely false to suggest that this Department of Justice is not executing as we should and doing the right thing every single day,” the acting AG said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.