Todd Blanche hearing turns to Jack Smith bombshells
Grassley said Smith’s team bypassed a screening process and said he intends to bring Smith before the committee.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYThe Washington Examiner is an established national outlet with identifiable authors and a record of reporting, though it has a pronounced conservative orientation. The article attributes key claims and quotations, but offers limited response from Smith or the officials whose conduct is questioned.
- Source type — Established national news outlet, with a conservative orientation.
- Editorial standards — The story reports a hearing and attributes statements to named participants.
- Author attribution — A named reporter is credited.
- Source diversity — The story includes a Democratic response but little direct response from Smith or the officials criticized.
The article provides specific claims, hearing exchanges, and attributed quotations from senators and Blanche. Its account is weighted toward Republican criticism, with only a brief Democratic response and no direct comment from Smith or the other former officials implicated.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article reports both Republican criticism and a Democratic response, but the Republican account and its allegations dominate. It provides little direct response from Smith or the former officials whose actions are questioned.
- Source diversity — The hearing participants offer opposing political perspectives, but there is no direct response from Smith.
- Omitted context — The article gives little explanation of the investigation’s rationale or the former officials’ account.
- Counterarguments presented — Durbin’s criticism of Republicans’ handling of Smith’s offer to testify is included.
- Loaded language — Strong characterizations appear mainly as attributed remarks from senators.
The report foregrounds Republican allegations and questioning, using their descriptions of the investigation prominently. It includes a Democratic rebuttal, but that response receives substantially less attention.
- Framing — The opening frames the hearing as Republicans amplifying revelations about Smith’s investigation.
- Source selection — Most quoted officials are Republicans, while the Democratic response is brief.
- Language tone — Charged descriptions are attributed to Republican senators rather than stated as the article’s own conclusions.
At Todd Blanche’s attorney general confirmation hearing, Republican senators pressed him about investigators’ access to lawmakers’ communications in the Trump investigation. Blanche pledged transparency and signaled openness to investigating former special counsel Jack Smith, while Sen. Dick Durbin criticized Republicans for not calling Smith to testify.
Sen. Chuck Grassley said Smith’s team obtained White House text messages involving 44 lawmakers and bypassed a process meant to screen potentially privileged congressional communications. Grassley called for accountability and said he intends to bring Smith before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Blanche said he would provide records to Congress and disclose prior department misconduct.
Senators John Kennedy, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Eric Schmitt, and Josh Hawley questioned Blanche about the investigation and the handling of lawmakers’ communications. Blanche said he could not speak for Smith, confirmed approvals and investigative details raised by Cruz, and said the Justice Department takes congressional testimony seriously when Hawley asked about investigating Smith for perjury. Durbin said Smith had volunteered to testify and accused Republicans of declining to call him.
Community verdict
27 VOTESPeople in this story
SWIPE →Senate Judiciary Committee chairman who disclosed the collection of lawmakers’ messages and sought accountability
Acting attorney general answering senators’ questions at his confirmation hearing
Blanche's version of this story ↗Former attorney general named in questions about the investigation
Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member who criticized Republicans’ handling of Smith’s offer to testify
Senator who said Smith should face prosecution
Former FBI director named in Cruz’s question about approval of the investigation
Senator who questioned Blanche about whether Smith obtained his emails
Senator who asked Blanche about investigating Smith for perjury
Senator who questioned Blanche about approvals and the scope of Operation Arctic Frost
White House chief of staff whose phone data was described as having been obtained
Senator who criticized the reported access to lawmakers’ text messages
Part of a bigger story
8 OUTLETSOutlets report that records released by Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson show Jack Smith’s team accessed messages involving 44 members of Congress before screening. Grassley said he plans to bring Smith before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Center outlets present the claims as allegations, with one account also noting Smith’s defense. Right-leaning outlets emphasize alleged misconduct and possible accountability, though one situates the issue in Blanche’s confirmation hearing.
- ARTICLES
- 8
- OUTLETS
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- AVG CRED
- 48
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