Todd Blanche, Donald Trump's former personal lawyer and an anti-abortion advocate, was confirmed as attorney general on 8 August in a vote that split along party lines by a margin of one. His appointment signals a heightened threat to abortion rights, particularly access to the abortion pill mifepristone.
Blanche's reported plans to restrict abortion pills
Days before his confirmation, Blanche reportedly told Christian conservative leaders on a call facilitated by the White House faith office that he would move more aggressively than his predecessor Pam Bondi to outlaw the mailing of mifepristone across state lines and target Democratic-controlled states that protect abortion access. He told the religious group Intercessors for America that the justice department was working "so that the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every single state."
"We don't have complete victory yet," Blanche said, "but we will have victory, and victory will be soon, and, and, and it will be permanent."
Potential legal avenues to curtail access
Blanche could enforce the Comstock Act, a largely dormant 1873 law, to ban the mailing of abortion pills. The Biden justice department in 2022 declared that medical providers could not be prosecuted under the act for mailing abortion pills; as attorney general, Blanche would have the power to reverse that decision. Such a move could halt commercial traffic in both mifepristone and misoprostol, the second drug used in medication abortions.
Blanche also indicated he might sue states with shield laws—legislation in Democratic-controlled states that prohibits state authorities from participating in other states' abortion investigations. His comments suggest the justice department could challenge these laws as illegal, curtailing liberal states' ability to set their own law enforcement priorities.
Coordination with health agencies and FDA pressure
On the call, Blanche said his department was "working hand in hand" with health agencies to make Dobbs permanent. The FDA, which expanded mifepristone access in 2021 and made the change permanent in 2023, faces pressure from anti-choice groups to revise that guidance. Louisiana has sued the FDA to forbid telehealth prescriptions of mifepristone, with a case set for the ultraconservative fifth circuit next month. The justice department has so far supported the drug's online availability in court, but under Blanche it could reverse that stance.
Trump has been cautious about pursuing anti-abortion policies since returning to office, partly due to political fallout from Dobbs. However, with the 2026 midterms looming, the appointment of Blanche is seen as a dark signal for women's rights, with more abortion restrictions expected in 2027.
