Leaked Audio Exposes Todd Blanche's Abortion Plan as Trump's AG Nominee Promises 'Permanent Victory'

A leaked recording of Donald Trump's nominee to lead the US Department of Justice has intensified scrutiny over the administration's abortion agenda after Todd Blanche privately told religious leaders he was working to make the Supreme Court's landmark Dobbs decision 'permanent in every state.'

The remarks, made during what participants were told was an off-the-record conference call, have fuelled fresh debate over abortion access and come as Blanche's nomination to become Attorney General advances through the Senate confirmation process.

Todd Blanche's Leaked Remarks

The recording, posted online by the religious organisation Intercessors for America, captured Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche discussing efforts to further restrict abortion access following the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v Wade.

Speaking during a White House Faith Office conference call, Blanche said the Department of Justice was 'working hand in hand' with federal health agencies and the White House 'so that the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every state.'

He added, 'We don't have complete victory yet, but we will have victory, and victory will be soon, and it will be permanent.'

Blanche also said the administration was working to prevent physicians in states where abortion remains legal from prescribing mail-order abortion pills to patients living in states that prohibit the procedure.

'If states have said, "We are going to protect the unborn and we're going to protect every life from the moment of conception," we're putting practices and policies in place so that other states and other organisations can't attack that,' he said. 'They can't do things like they're doing with mailing in mail-order drugs.'

The recording did not include details of how such measures would be implemented.

Department of Justice Responds to Controversy

Following publication of the recording, the Department of Justice said Blanche's comments should not be interpreted as signalling a broader expansion of federal authority over state abortion laws.

In a statement, the department said his remarks 'need to be understood in their full context, which was with respect to mail order abortion drugs, not a broader expansion of federal control over states.'

The Dobbs ruling, issued by the Supreme Court in June 2022, overturned the constitutional right to abortion established under Roe v Wade, returning authority over abortion policy to individual states. Since then, abortion access has varied significantly across the United States, with some states imposing near-total bans while others have expanded protections.

Leaked Call Emerges During Confirmation Battle

The conference call reportedly took place on the same day President Donald Trump publicly considered temporarily withdrawing Blanche's nomination amid controversy surrounding a proposed $1.8 billion (£1.3 billion) 'anti-weaponization fund.'

Critics argued the funding could have benefited Trump allies who claimed they had been wrongly prosecuted, including individuals convicted over the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

Blanche later withdrew the proposal, and the Senate Judiciary Committee subsequently advanced his nomination on a 12 to 10 party-line vote.

According to Politico, participants on the conference call were told it was 'not on the record' and 'not intended for press purposes.' The call also reportedly instructed any journalists listening to disconnect.

Democrats Criticise Todd Blanche's Abortion Comments

The leaked audio quickly became a point of contention during Blanche's confirmation process.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal described Blanche as 'a zealot, a warrior' who was seeking to advance the president's position against reproductive rights.

Senator Ben Ray Luján also criticised the remarks, saying on social media that Blanche had indicated he wanted to reduce access to reproductive healthcare across the country.

The Center for Reproductive Rights likewise condemned the comments, arguing they reflected an intention to further limit abortion access nationwide.

The leaked recording has placed Blanche's views on abortion access under renewed scrutiny as senators continue weighing his nomination to become the nation's next Attorney General.