Sen. Mazie Hirono opened her time in Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing by asking the exact question on the record: “Since you became a legal adult, have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors or committed any verbal or physical harassment or assault of a sexual nature?” Blanche answered plainly and directly: “No, Senator.”
What Hirono asked at the Blanche hearing
The lede question was posed in full and on the public record: “Since you became a legal adult, have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors or committed any verbal or physical harassment or assault of a sexual nature?” The nominee responded, “No, Senator.” Hirono then followed with a related, narrow probe about whether Blanche had ever faced discipline or entered a settlement tied to that kind of conduct; Blanche again answered, “No, Senator.”
The exchange occurred at the start of Hirono’s allotted time and appears verbatim in the hearing transcript and contemporaneous coverage. The brevity of Blanche’s replies left a clear, on-the-record denial for committee members and the public to weigh alongside other testimony.
Blanche response and follow up
After the two direct answers, the questioning moved to Blanche’s professional record, legal experience and views on Justice Department priorities. Committee members continued standard vetting on qualifications and prior work.
When senators press nominees about past conduct, they are seeking information that could bear on a candidate’s fitness to serve. In this instance, Hirono framed the questions as a routine part of vetting; Blanche’s denials were entered into the hearing record without further immediate challenge on those points.
Why Mazie Hirono uses this line of questioning
Hirono has used this wording in confirmation settings since 2018 amid the rise of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. She has said the goal is straightforward: to put clear answers on the record under oath about any history of sexual harassment or assault so senators and the public can weigh that information during confirmation decisions.
The phrasing has become a recurring opening from Hirono in Judiciary Committee sessions and other confirmation hearings. Public accounts and reporting cite earlier uses of similar questions in prior confirmation contexts, for example when she questioned judicial nominees such as Kurt Engelhardt. Sen. Hirono and her staff have described the formulation as part of a consistent approach to vetting since 2018.
Public reaction and White House response
The exchange generated immediate commentary on social platforms. Some conservative accounts criticized Hirono’s choice to begin with that question, calling it an unusual way to open a nominee’s appearance; others defended the line of questioning as a way to ensure transparency. Coverage of social responses ranged from measured analysis of the tactic to sharper partisan reaction.
The White House Rapid Response team posted on X criticizing the opening question and characterizing it as inappropriate for an initial line of inquiry into a nominee’s qualifications. News organizations reported the Rapid Response post alongside the hearing coverage; we have not embedded that post here but note it as part of the public record and response landscape.
In reporting reactions, this account avoids amplifying insults and focuses on the content of official posts and the broader pattern of commentary. Observers on both sides of the aisle framed the moment through differing lenses: some as routine vetting consistent with the #MeToo era, others as a partisan framing of a nominee’s first moments under questioning.
What comes next for the confirmation
The hearing is part of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation process. After initial rounds of questioning, committee members may continue with additional questioning rounds, receive written answers to outstanding questions, and ultimately hold a committee vote on whether to report the nomination to the full Senate.
If the committee votes to advance the nomination, the full Senate will decide whether to confirm. Throughout that process, committee transcripts and public reporting will remain the primary sources for what nominees said under oath and how senators weighed those statements.
FAQ
Why did Mazie Hirono ask that question?
Hirono says she adopted the wording in 2018 amid the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements to put nominees’ answers about sexual harassment or assault on the record under oath.
How did Todd Blanche respond?
Blanche answered directly on the record. To the question about unwanted requests for sexual favors he said, “No, Senator.” He also denied having faced discipline or entered settlements related to that conduct.
Has Hirono used this question before?
Yes. The senator has repeatedly used similar wording in confirmation proceedings since 2018; public reporting and committee records note prior uses during vetting of judicial nominees and other confirmation contexts.
Source: Reporting by Fox News on the hearing. Full story: Fox News — Hirono ripped for opening confirmation question to Blanche
