Todd Blanche confirmed: Trump's former criminal lawyer becomes attorney general
Pejorative Labeling
How They Deceive You
Propaganda
Notable spin through loaded labeling and selective omission that tilts coverage against the nominee while retaining some factual content.
Main Device
Pejorative Labeling
Headline and lead repeatedly brand Blanche as 'Trump's former criminal lawyer' to prime a negative impression.
Archetype
Progressive anti-Trump skeptic
Frames Trump administration picks as inherently tainted by association with prior legal troubles.
Fixates on the 'criminal lawyer' epithet while burying Blanche's victim meetings and testimony, steering readers to see the appointment as illegitimate.
Writer's Worldview
“Progressive anti-Trump skeptic”
3 findings · 1 omission · 5 sources compared
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Narrative Analysis
The Raw Story article frames Todd Blanche's confirmation primarily through his defense of Donald Trump, using that association as the dominant lens while reporting opposition concerns at length but omitting the nominee's direct responses and procedural steps that produced the 50-49 vote.
Key findings
- Headline and lead repeatedly apply the label "Trump's former criminal lawyer." The title reads "Todd Blanche confirmed: Trump's former criminal lawyer becomes attorney general," and the opening sentence centers the New York conviction defense. This choice narrows the introduction to one prior role rather than including Blanche's earlier Department of Justice experience.
- Opposition statements receive extended quotation without rebuttal. The piece details Sen. Lisa Murkowski's criticisms of Epstein file handling and immunity provisions, then notes Sen. Susan Collins's opposition. No reference appears to Blanche's July 2026 Senate testimony addressing those exact points or to meetings he held with Epstein accusers.
- The narrow vote outcome is stated but not contextualized. The article records the 50-49 tally and mentions Sen. Bill Cassidy's support, yet supplies no information on the specific concessions or clarifications that resolved earlier holds.
What was missing and why it matters
The article omits Blanche's documented July 17, 2026 meeting with Epstein accusers at DOJ headquarters, a step taken after Sen. Thom Tillis conditioned his vote on such engagement. This is a verifiable procedural fact reported by PBS NewsHour. Its absence leaves readers without the record of how one highlighted concern was addressed before the final vote.
Source and author context
Kathleen Culliton, managing editor at Raw Story, has prior experience at the New York Post, Al Jazeera, and Patch. Raw Story describes itself as progressive and focuses coverage on national politics from that perspective. The piece aligns with that orientation by foregrounding critical Republican and Democratic voices.
How other outlets covered the confirmation
- WBAL TV emphasized committee clearance by a 12-10 vote and the specific deals that secured holdout support.
- Alliance for Justice limited its account to the bare confirmation tally and transition date without commentary on controversies.
- John Barrasso's statement highlighted Blanche's record on rule-of-law issues and called for confirmation.
Bottom line
The article accurately reports the final vote and Murkowski's stated objections. Its limitations lie in the consistent reduction of Blanche to a single prior client and the decision not to include the nominee's testimony or the accuser meeting that directly addressed one of the main criticisms raised. These choices shape emphasis more than they alter verifiable events.
Further Reading
Neutral Rewrite
Here's how this article reads with loaded language removed and missing context included.
Todd Blanche Confirmed as Attorney General by 50-49 Senate Vote
Todd Blanche, who represented Donald Trump in a New York criminal case that resulted in conviction, was confirmed as attorney general early Saturday by a 50-49 Senate vote. The outcome followed public statements from several Republican senators expressing reservations about his nomination.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced Friday morning that she would oppose the nomination. She cited the handling of Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein, immunity provisions in prior legal matters involving Trump and his businesses, statements made to anti-abortion organizations, and prior actions targeting former administration officials and sitting senators. Sen. Susan Collins also voted against confirmation. Sen. Bill Cassidy stated support on the Senate floor after reviewing the record.
Blanche posted on X after the vote that he was honored by the appointment to serve as the 88th attorney general and thanked Department of Justice employees for their work upholding the law. During his confirmation hearing, Blanche addressed questions about redactions in Epstein-related materials, stating that errors had occurred and outlining steps to correct them. He also described meetings held with individuals who had accused Epstein of misconduct.
On July 17, 2026, Blanche met with Epstein accusers for one hour at Department of Justice headquarters. The meeting took place after Sen. Thom Tillis indicated that such a discussion would be a condition for his support. Blanche further stated during the hearing that he would limit the scope of a $1.8 billion compensation fund established in connection with prior Epstein litigation, a commitment that addressed concerns raised by some Republican senators.
The confirmation vote occurred after extended floor debate. Under standard Senate procedure, the attorney general serves as the head of the Department of Justice and is responsible for federal law enforcement and legal representation of the United States government.
Investigation Log · 30 steps
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Investigating Raw Story
Investigating Kathleen Culliton
Source: Raw Story
Raw Story is an online news site founded in 2004 that publishes a mix of its own reporting, syndicated content, and aggregated material. Owned by Raw Story Media, Inc. with John K. Byrne as founder/CEO and Michael Rogers as vice chairman, it has received awards for investigative pieces on domestic extremism and congressional conflicts of interest, and partnered with DCReport from 2019 to 2021.
Source: Kathleen Culliton
Kathleen Culliton is managing editor at Raw Story with over a decade of experience covering local and national news for outlets including the New York Post, Al Jazeera, DNAinfo New York, and others. She is a CUNY Graduate School of Journalism alumna and previously served as regional manager of Patch’s New York City bureau, focusing on local NYC reporting and national political coverage.
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Framing
Headline and lead describe Blanche exclusively as "Trump's former criminal lawyer" and "the man who defended President Donald Trump when he was convicted on criminal charges"
Reduces Blanche to a partisan label rather than noting his prior DOJ roles or legal career, priming readers to view the appointment as improper
Omission
Reports Murkowski's criticisms of Epstein file handling and immunity deals but omits Blanche's hearing testimony addressing redaction errors, meetings with victims, and promises to limit the $1.8B fund
Presents opposition concerns without the nominee's rebuttals or concessions made to secure confirmation
Missing Context
Blanche met with Epstein accusers for an hour at DOJ headquarters on July 17, 2026, after Sen. Tillis conditioned support on the meeting
Shows Blanche engaged directly with critics on the Epstein issue Murkowski highlighted
Source Credibility
Raw Story (progressive outlet) frames the story around opposition quotes and the "criminal lawyer" label while downplaying procedural resolution
Consistent with outlet's known bias against Trump-aligned figures; no balancing sources from supporters
Writing analysis narrative
Writing verdict summary
Writing neutral rewrite
Investigation complete. Preparing report...
Neutral rewrite ready
Analysis narrative ready
**Investigation complete.** Raw Story (progressive outlet) used loaded labeling ("Trump's former criminal lawyer") and selective omission of Blanche's Epstein testimony, victim meetings, and concessions on the $1.8B fund. The 50-49 vote and Murkowski/Collins opposition are accurate, but the framing consistently emphasizes concerns without rebuttals. Verdict: **C** (pejorative labeling as main device; progressive anti-Trump skeptic archetype).
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