Todd Blanche testifies at Senate confirmation hearing for attorney general.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 15, 2026, seeking confirmation to lead the Justice Department permanently. He faced questioning from both Democrats and Republicans regarding his independence from President Trump, a now-abandoned $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund, a settlement granting Trump tax immunity, and the department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. His confirmation hinges on the support of every Republican on the committee, with Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis remaining noncommittal.
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Divergence score
This event sits in the top 1% of divergence this week. 24 outlets covered it, splitting into 24 framing camps across 4 bias groups.
24 camps
4 bias groups
The spectrum · how 24 outlets placed this story
LeftCenterRight
CBS News
Mother Jones
HuffPost
ABC News
Washington Examiner
NPR
Al Jazeera
Politico
AP News
Reason
The Federalist
Newsmax
CNN
Breitbart
Daily Wire
New York Times
The Hill
Washington Times
South China Morning Post
Axios
PBS NewsHour
Wall Street Journal
NBC News
NY Post
Supportive of action
Neutral
Dismissive
Critical
Alarmist
International angle
Widest split · the two outlets furthest apart, and who published first
Furthest apart on this story
Mother Jones
Todd Blanche Just Opened the Door to a National Abortion Ban
abortion rights alarm · negative
Washington Examiner
Five takeaways from Todd Blanche hearing as Trump’s attorney general pick gains more GOP favor
momentum toward confirmation · positive
First to report
- Daily Wirefirst
- CBS News+36 min
- Wall Street Journal+3.4 h
- PBS NewsHour+6.2 h
- NY Post+8.4 h
- Reason+11.8 h
- NPR+16.7 h
- ABC News+17.1 h
- CNN+22.1 h
- Washington Times+23.1 h
- The Hill+24.6 h
- The Federalist+24.6 h
By each outlet's earliest publish time in this story. Feeds that index slowly can appear later than they printed.
The split, in one line
The right frames Blanche as restoring trust and exposing Biden-era weaponization, while the left argues he remains Trump’s personal lawyer pursuing political foes. The center press highlights the narrow path to confirmation dependent on a few GOP holdouts.
How each outlet covered it
Two readings of the same facts
The left and the right lead with different language. The loaded words each chose are highlighted.
53DIVERGENCE
DOWN THE MIDDLE
“Todd Blanche’s chances of becoming attorney general could hinge on John Cornyn” · Al Jazeera, Politico, AP News, The Hill, South China Morning Post, Axios, PBS NewsHour
+Hide the full sourcingSee how all 24 outlets put it
LEFT5
MJMother Jones Todd Blanche Just Opened the Door to a National Abortion Ban 57d ago HPHuffPost Blanche Confronts Skeptical Questioning Of Fund, Tax Deal For Trump At Senate Confirmation Hearing 57d ago NPRNPR Takeaways from Todd Blanche's confirmation hearing for attorney general 58d ago CNNCNN Confirmation hearings, fiery train, predicting Alzheimer’s risk: Catch up on the day’s stories 57d ago TNew York Times Fate of Blanche’s Nomination Could Rest on One Republican Senator 57d ago LEFT-CENTER3
CBSCBS News Blanche set to face harsh questioning at Senate confirmation hearing 57d ago ABCABC News Blanche to face grilling on DOJ controversies as he seeks confirmation as AG 58d ago NBCNBC News Key Takeaways From Day 1 of Todd Blanche Confirmation Hearing 57d ago CENTER5
PPolitico Todd Blanche’s chances of becoming attorney general could hinge on John Cornyn 58d ago APAP News Todd Blanche faces Senate for DOJ confirmation hearing HThe Hill Blanche when asked if he's Trump's friend: 'I’m his lawyer — was his lawyer' 58d ago AAxios Blanche sidesteps questions on federal agents at election sites 57d ago PBSPBS NewsHour What Blanche said about Trump, Epstein files during confirmation hearing for attorney general 57d ago RIGHT-CENTER2
RReason By Blessing Corruption, Todd Blanche Has Disqualified Himself From the Job He Wants 58d ago WSJWall Street Journal Attorney General Pick Todd Blanche Faces Headwinds in Senate 59d ago RIGHT7
WEWashington Examiner Five takeaways from Todd Blanche hearing as Trump’s attorney general pick gains more GOP favor 57d ago FThe Federalist Grassley: Democrats Who Weaponized DOJ Hate Blanche, Which Proves He’s A Good AG Pick 58d ago NMNewsmax Blanche Faces Tough AG Hearing, Insists He's Not Trump's 'Yes Man' 58d ago BBreitbart Todd Blanche Faces Tough Confirmation Hearing Before Senate Judiciary Committee 57d ago DWDaily Wire Blanche Slams Dem’s ‘Extraordinarily Obnoxious’ Attack On Kash Patel 58d ago WTWashington Times AG nominee Todd Blanche takes responsibility for Epstein files mistakes 58d ago NYPNY Post Acting AG Todd Blanche tangles with Dems over Trump, more in fiery confirmation hearing 57d ago 10 tracked claims across 24 outlets
Fact ledger
All10Claimed3Corroborated7
1/24
Claimed
Blanche committed to reviewing Biden-era guidance on the Comstock Act regarding abortion pill shipments.
Corroborated
Disputed
9 more tracked claimsSign up free to see the full ledger