Todd Blanche Survived The Senate Circus, And Trump Got His Attorney General

Washington loves nothing more than a confirmation fight. Give the United States Senate a nominee, a television camera and an opportunity for political theater, and suddenly everyone becomes the self-appointed guardian of the Constitution.

The confirmation of Todd Blanche as Attorney General of the United States was no exception.

After weeks of political maneuvering, Democratic opposition, Republican hesitation and backroom negotiations, Blanche finally crossed the finish line. It was close, contentious and at times unnecessarily dramatic, but President Donald Trump stood behind his nominee and ultimately got his man.

I supported Todd Blanche for Attorney General, and I am glad President Trump refused to fold when Washington made the confirmation difficult.

Blanche is not some political amateur who wandered off the campaign trail and suddenly found himself running the Department of Justice. He has experience as a federal prosecutor, defense attorney and senior Justice Department official. More importantly, he understands the justice system from both sides of the courtroom. That experience matters at a moment when millions of Americans have lost confidence in the impartiality of the Department of Justice.

But qualifications were never going to make this confirmation easy.

This was always going to be about Donald Trump.

Democrats made that clear from the beginning. Their central argument was that Blanche's relationship with Trump made him too loyal to the president and therefore incapable of maintaining the traditional independence expected of an Attorney General.

Forgive me if I find the sudden concern a little difficult to swallow.

For years, Republicans watched investigations, prosecutions and unprecedented legal theories aimed at Donald Trump while being told that questioning the motivations behind any of it amounted to attacking the rule of law.

Then Trump wins another presidential election and selects someone he trusts to lead the Justice Department, and suddenly Washington rediscovers its concern about politics influencing federal law enforcement.

The irony is impossible to ignore.

But some of the most interesting drama surrounding Blanche did not come from Democrats. It came from Republicans.

Republican senators had their own concerns about Justice Department policy and demanded answers before allowing the nomination to move forward. That created an uncomfortable situation for the White House because with a narrow Senate majority, every Republican senator suddenly possessed enormous leverage.

The nomination stalled. Negotiations intensified. Commitments were sought, assurances were made and senators who had concerns ultimately had to decide whether those concerns outweighed Blanche's qualifications and President Trump's right to assemble his administration.

That is politics, but it is also how the Senate is supposed to work.

Republicans asked questions. They demanded answers. They used their leverage. Then enough of them came together to confirm the president's nominee. There is nothing scandalous about that. It is called governing.

The entire episode should also serve as a reminder to Republicans that no confirmation can be taken for granted. When the margin is razor thin, every senator matters. Personal disagreements become political crises. Policy disputes become bargaining chips. One vote can determine whether a president gets the people he wants running his administration.

President Trump navigated that reality and Todd Blanche survived it.

Now the political theater ends and the difficult work begins.

The Attorney General possesses enormous authority. The Department of Justice can investigate, prosecute and potentially deprive Americans of their liberty. That power must be exercised carefully, constitutionally and consistently.

Supporting Todd Blanche does not mean giving him a blank check. No Attorney General deserves one.

Congress should conduct oversight. Senators should ask difficult questions. The press should investigate legitimate controversies. Blanche should be expected to explain consequential decisions made under his leadership.

But oversight and political sabotage are two very different things.

Blanche now has an opportunity to help rebuild public confidence in the Justice Department.

His mission should not be creating a Republican Justice Department to replace a Democratic Justice Department. His mission should be restoring an American Justice Department.

Go after violent criminals. Destroy the cartels poisoning American communities. Pursue fraud and corruption. Protect children. Support law enforcement. Defend the Constitution.

Most importantly, apply one standard of justice.

That is the standard by which Todd Blanche should ultimately be judged.

I supported his confirmation because I believe he possesses the experience necessary for this moment. I also believe President Trump deserves an Attorney General capable of implementing the lawful public safety agenda that Americans elected his administration to pursue.

Blanche will face enormous scrutiny. Democrats will watch every decision. Republicans will expect results. The media will dissect every investigation involving politics. Critics will search for evidence that the Justice Department has become Trump's personal law firm, while Trump supporters will demand accountability for what they believe was years of political weaponization.

That is an extraordinarily difficult environment.

But nobody said being Attorney General was supposed to be easy.

Being Donald Trump's lawyer made Todd Blanche famous. Being Donald Trump's nominee made him controversial.

Being Attorney General will determine his legacy.

President Trump stood behind Blanche when the confirmation became difficult. Senate Republicans ultimately delivered the votes necessary to put him at the Justice Department.

I supported Todd Blanche through this process, and I support him as he takes on this responsibility.

Now the hearings are over. The negotiations are over. The political games are over.

Todd Blanche has the job.

Now get to work.