Key GOP senator says Todd Blanche needs to meet with Epstein victims before winning his support

Tillis Conditions Support for Blanche on Epstein Victim Meeting

Key GOP senator says Todd Blanche – A pivotal Republican senator has outlined a clear prerequisite for endorsing Todd Blanche’s elevation to attorney general: the nominee must sit down with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse network. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, whose affirmative vote carries significant weight in advancing the nomination, communicated this requirement during Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee proceedings. While Tillis expressed a generally favorable view of Blanche, he emphasized that his final decision remains pending until the meeting takes place.

“This is a very important part of getting to yes,” Tillis explained during the hearing. He noted that Blanche had already indicated willingness to meet with the victims, and given that timeline, the senator expects the encounter to happen soon. “There should not be any reason why, based on what Mr. Blanche said yesterday, if he said that he would do it today, then he can certainly do it over the next two weeks,” Tillis stated.

The Path to a “Yes” Vote

Tillis clarified that Blanche’s openness to meeting with survivors was encouraging, though he acknowledged the practical consideration that legal counsel must attend such sessions. “Blanche was willing to say that he would meet with them and counsel, I understand the restriction that counsel has to be present,” the senator remarked. He made clear that this meeting represents a critical milestone before he would support moving Blanche’s nomination out of committee.

The acting attorney general faced extensive questioning from senators the previous day. During his testimony, Blanche conceded that certain mistakes occurred during the Justice Department’s review of Epstein-related documents, yet he maintained that his overall handling of the situation was appropriate. Meanwhile, a coalition of Epstein survivors has been actively lobbying the Senate to oppose Blanche’s confirmation.

One particularly moving moment came when Dani Bensky, an Epstein survivor, delivered testimony opposing the nomination. Other survivors sat in the gallery holding photographs of themselves at the ages when they first experienced abuse, creating a powerful visual reminder of the human toll involved.

Two Senators Hold the Key

The outcome of Blanche’s nomination within the Judiciary Committee ultimately rests with two Republican senators who face no electoral consequences: Tillis and Texas Senator John Cornyn. Both men have announced they will not seek another term—Cornyn recently lost his Republican primary to a Trump-endorsed challenger, while Tillis declared last year that he would retire rather than run again.

These two senators have also emerged as vocal critics of the Justice Department’s earlier proposal for an approximately $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, which Blanche has characterized as finished. Cornyn told CNN on Thursday that he believes the fund remains viable. “I think what I confirmed is that the weaponization fund is, still can be revived, and so this idea that it’s somehow gone is just not true, in my opinion,” Cornyn explained.

Tillis echoed this sentiment but demanded concrete assurances. “There are very specific, measurable work products — not a wink and a nod and a handshake, but definable, ratified, executed agreements that will make me feel comfortable that this turkey of an idea is dead,” the senator told reporters.

“Survivors feel seen and heard today. They have been harmed by this DOJ and specifically by Todd Blanche,” said Lauren Hersh, co-founder of World Without Exploitation.

Blanche navigated a delicate balancing act before the committee, reassuring Republicans that his aggressive prosecutorial style would continue while also demonstrating that President Trump would not exert political interference in the department’s operations. Survivors who traveled to Washington, DC, this week to voice their opposition have been requesting a meeting with Blanche for several months.

Lauren Hersh, whose organization collaborates closely with Epstein survivors, expressed satisfaction with Tillis’ comments. She noted that survivors would appreciate opportunities to meet with any Republican senators who have not yet committed to supporting Blanche. “We have requested meetings over and over and over again,” added survivor Liz Stein.

On Wednesday, Blanche defended the Justice Department’s efforts to make the Epstein files public. He acknowledged that approximately one percent of the roughly three million documents required additional redaction corrections after initial release. “They took pains to apply appropriate redactions, there were mistakes that were made, and so approximately 1% of the redactions had to be fixed after we released the Epstein files,” Blanche explained. “That doesn’t excuse the mistakes of which I take responsibility, but it does mean that we tried to fix them.”

Victims, including Bensky, have argued that these corrections arrived too late, after their personal information had already been exposed to the public. For Thursday’s hearing, Republicans invited former Attorney General John Ashcroft, who served under President George W. Bush, to provide testimony in support of Blanche’s nomination.

Following Tillis’ public comments, a Justice Department representative confirmed to CNN that arrangements for the meeting between Blanche and the survivors would be completed within the next fortnight. This development represents a significant step toward resolving one of the most contentious aspects of Blanche’s confirmation process.