Todd Blanche looks set to become Trump's attorney general. Will Susan Collins vote for him?
Blanche’s order ending the fund helped win support from two Republican senators for his nomination.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Centralmaine.com, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
CentralMaine.com is a regional news publisher, and the article identifies its reporter and attributes key statements to named officials and their offices. The text provides limited detail about the legal experts it cites, and the article alone does not establish the publisher’s corrections practices.
- Source type — Regional news outlet with local political reporting.
- Author attribution — A named reporter is credited.
- Transparency — Statements are attributed to named officials, offices, or spokespersons.
- Editorial standards — The article itself offers limited evidence about newsroom standards or corrections practices.
The article reports the order, the senators’ changed positions, Collins’ response, and potential uncertainty about the fund’s future. It uses named sources and direct quotations, but the legal experts are not identified and Collins had not yet commented on the new order.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article presents criticism of the fund, the rationale offered by Trump, and uncertainty over the order’s durability. Collins’ view on the new order was not yet available, and the legal experts’ concerns are not tied to named sources.
- Source diversity — Includes lawmakers’ views, a statement from Trump, and legal experts’ concerns.
- Counterarguments presented — Reports both criticism of the fund and Trump’s defense of potential beneficiaries.
- Omitted context — Collins had not commented on the new order, and the cited legal experts are unidentified.
- Loaded language — Most evaluative terms appear in attributed statements rather than as the article’s own claims.
The article uses largely neutral language and attributes criticism and support for the fund to the people expressing those views. It reports both the concerns about the fund and Trump’s defense of people who might have benefited.
- Language tone — Mostly descriptive wording, with charged characterizations presented as attributed quotations.
- Source selection — Includes statements from senators on different sides of the fund debate and from Trump.
- Framing — The headline frames Collins’ vote as unresolved rather than asserting how she will vote.
Republished
Republished from Portland Press Herald. The relationship between the two publishers has not been determined.
Not enough stories yet: 7 of 10.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche rescinded a proposed $1.776 billion fund, helping secure support from two Republican senators for his nomination. Maine Sen. Susan Collins has not said whether she will vote to confirm him and is reviewing the order.
Blanche issued an order ending the taxpayer-funded settlement fund, which was intended to compensate people who believed they had been unfairly prosecuted during the Biden administration. The article reports that the fund drew bipartisan criticism, including concern it could have benefited people who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis said they would support Blanche’s nomination after his move to end the fund.
Collins had previously opposed the fund on legal grounds but had not committed to voting for Blanche. Her office said she and her staff were reviewing the order. A Senate Judiciary Committee vote was expected Tuesday, while legal experts said a future administration order could potentially revive the fund.
Community verdict
21 VOTES
People in this story
SWIPE →Acting attorney general and nominee for attorney general who rescinded the proposed fund.
Senator from Maine and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, whose vote on Blanche’s nomination remains undecided.
Collins's version of this story ↗
Former attorney general, mentioned as the official Trump fired before Blanche became acting attorney general.
President who backed the settlement fund and defended people who could have benefited from it.
Democratic representative from Maine who criticized the proposed fund.
Former president whose administration is referenced in connection with the people the fund was intended to compensate.
Senator from Alaska who had not committed to supporting Blanche.
Senator from North Carolina who agreed to support Blanche’s nomination after Blanche rescinded the fund.
Democratic representative from Maine who criticized the proposed fund.
Texas attorney general and Senate candidate, mentioned as the Trump-backed candidate who defeated Cornyn in a primary.
Democratic Senate candidate in Maine who has criticized Collins.
Senator from Texas who agreed to support Blanche’s nomination after Blanche rescinded the fund.
Independent senator from Maine who caucuses with Democrats and criticized the proposed fund.
Part of a bigger story
22 OUTLETSTodd Blanche issued an order rescinding the Justice Department’s Anti-Weaponization Fund and addressed tax protections in an IRS settlement. Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis then said they would support advancing his nomination. Left-leaning outlets question whether Blanche’s orders meaningfully limit Trump’s tax protections and criticize support for his nomination. Center outlets focus on the agreement and nomination path, though some question whether the changes close loopholes. Right-leaning outlets present the changes as a concession that could help advance Blanche’s nomination.
- ARTICLES
- 26
- OUTLETS
- 22
- AVG CRED
- 75
Discussion · 0
Loading comments…