Adam Schiff calls for Senate to ‘vigorously oppose’ Trump’s effort to make Todd Blanche his permanent attorney general – live

Senator Adam Schiff has formally urged his Senate colleagues to reject President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Todd Blanche for the position of attorney general. The California Democrat argues that Blanche’s history as Trump’s personal criminal defense attorney prevents him from acting as an impartial representative of the American public. Schiff contends that the nominee has demonstrated an inability to separate his previous legal advocacy for Trump from the duties required of the nation's top law enforcement official. This pushback highlights growing concerns among Democrats regarding the independence of the Justice Department under the incoming administration. Meanwhile, Trump has made separate headlines by claiming that ongoing peace negotiations are underway between Israel and Iran, though he offered no specific evidence to support these assertions.

The nomination of a personal defense attorney to lead the Department of Justice raises significant questions about the future of institutional independence and the separation of legal and political interests.