Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday quickly became the focus of criticism after Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, opened her questioning with a series of inquiries about personal misconduct, prompting a sharp response from the White House and widespread reaction on social media, as reported [1] by Fox News.
Blanche appeared before the committee as lawmakers considered his nomination. During her allotted time, Hirono began by asking whether he had ever engaged in inappropriate personal conduct or misconduct during his adult life.
Blanche answered each question with the same response.
“No, senator,” he said.
Hirono then asked whether Blanche had ever faced disciplinary action or entered into any settlement related to that type of conduct.
Again, Blanche replied, “No, senator.”
The White House’s Rapid Response account quickly criticized Hirono’s line of questioning on X.
“Low IQ @maziehirono begins her questioning of @DAGToddBlanche —an esteemed professional with an honorable record in public service—by asking, ‘Have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors?’ What a joke,” the account posted.
Low IQ @maziehirono [2] begins her questioning of @DAGToddBlanche [3]—an esteemed professional with an honorable record in public service—by asking, “Have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors?”
What a joke. pic.twitter.com/Daf6NexvWF [4]
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 15, 2026 [5]
Hirono has used similar opening questions during previous Senate confirmation hearings. She asked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum comparable questions during his confirmation hearing last year.
According to the report, Hirono first adopted the practice in 2018 following the rise of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.
She initially used the questions during the confirmation hearing of judicial nominee Kurt Engelhardt during President Donald Trump’s first administration.
The exchange with Blanche quickly spread across social media, where a number of conservative organizations and commentators criticized Hirono’s approach.
“Raise your hand if you’re tired of @maziehirono’s favorite Senate Judiciary line of questioning,” the Republican National Lawyers Association wrote on X.
Raise your hand if you’re tired of @maziehirono [2]‘s favorite Senate Judiciary line of questioning. 🙋♂️🙋♀️🙋16/ https://t.co/4IVfZyZP6u [6]
— RNLA ⚖️ (@TheRepLawyer) July 15, 2026 [7]
Right Line News Chief Content Officer Eric Daugherty also commented on the hearing.
“The White House is RIPPING deranged Sen. Mazie Hirono (D) for demanding AG Todd Blanche answer, ‘have you ever made unwanted requests for s*xual favors’ BLANCHE: ‘…no, senator..,’” Daugherty wrote on X.
He followed with another post that read, “WTF? What a stupid thing to ask out of nowhere.”
🚨 NOW: The White House is RIPPING deranged Sen. Mazie Hirono (D) for demanding AG Todd Blanche answer, “have you ever made unwanted requests for s*xual favors?”
BLANCHE: “…no, senator…”
WTF? What a stupid thing to ask out of nowhere. pic.twitter.com/4nIZN080CQ [8]
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 15, 2026 [9]
Another social media user wrote, “She does it to EVERYONE, SHE IS ABSOLUTELY NUTS.”
She does it to EVERYONE, SHE IS ABSOLUTELY NUTS https://t.co/sV9w0xSsH2 [10]
— Toni Edwards (@toniedwards123) July 15, 2026 [11]
Hirono has previously explained why she asks similar questions of nominees appearing before the Senate.
In a 2018 post on X, she wrote that she was “asking nominees to our courts, under oath, whether or not they have a history of sexual assault or harassment.”
She also wrote, “Like in other industries, our judges are in positions of power & #TimesUp.”
Starting today, I’m asking nominees to our courts, under oath, whether or not they have a history of sexual assault or harassment. Like in other industries, our judges are in positions of power & #TimesUp [12]. pic.twitter.com/Jk0NcTBi3h [13]
— Senator Mazie Hirono (@maziehirono) January 10, 2018 [14]
The questions have become a recurring feature of Hirono’s participation in confirmation hearings and have repeatedly generated criticism from Republicans and conservative commentators, who argue the inquiries are inappropriate when directed at nominees without public allegations of misconduct.
Wednesday’s hearing continued that pattern, with Blanche firmly denying any history of misconduct and answering each question directly.
The exchange became one of the most widely discussed moments of the hearing, drawing immediate responses from the White House, legal organizations, political commentators, and social media users.
Blanche’s nomination now moves forward as the Senate Judiciary Committee continues its consideration of his confirmation, while the opening exchange with Hirono is likely to remain one of the most closely watched moments from Wednesday’s proceedings.