President Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee, Todd Blanche, slipped in his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, saying “I’m his lawyer” when asked whether he and Trump were “friends.”
Blanche quickly corrected himself, but it was a moment that quickly went viral, with progressives calling it an admission that he continues to act in the interest of the president, and not for the American people.
On Wednesday morning, two of Blanche’s former colleagues penned a column saying that this was their precise concern that should be disqualifying.
Critics on social media responded with swift condemnation and mockery.
“Todd Blanche just said the quiet part out loud. He is DONALD TRUMP’S LAWYER — not yours,” said the Senate Judiciary Democrats on X.
“At least their plane tips didn’t ever touch,” mocked legal commentator Chance the Lawyer on BlueSky.
“Smooth,” said one New York lawyer.
“Had it right the first time,” said South Dakotan Michael Freeman.
“Talk about a Freudian slip,” commented Capitol Hill staffer Sara Guerrero.
“‘I’m his lawyer’ Todd Blanche says in this hearing. He corrected after to ‘WAS his lawyer…’ but the slip… ahem TRUTH… came out first,” said Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert.
Former CBS News reporter Scott MacFarlane commented, “This is being circulated rapidly by aides here on Capitol Hill.”
“Todd Blanche admitted the quiet part out loud: he still considers himself to be Donald Trump’s lawyer. The Attorney General should be the people’s lawyer, not the president’s personal attorney,” the account for the progressive anti-corruption organization Stand Up America wrote on X.
“I literally gasped,” quipped a conductor responding to ex-prosecutor Joyce Vance’s shock.
“Todd Blanche just said the quiet part out loud,” quipped psychologist and researcher, Dr. Sam Youssef.
Legal commentator Eric Columbus noted that despite his gaffe, Blanche hasn’t once mentioned that the Dow is over 50,000. Another attorney, Matt Szafranski responded, “The thing is, I’m not sure what he’s said is any better.