2026-08-05 · contested story
Todd Blanche says he wants the ruling that ended Roe made permanent in every state
Acting Attorney General and Deputy AG nominee Todd Blanche told faith leaders on a private White House Faith Office call that the Justice Department is working to make the Dobbs decision 'permanent in every single state.' On the recording, posted online by the Christian ministry Intercessors for America and first reported by Politico, Blanche said 'We don't have complete victory yet, but we will have victory, and victory will be soon, and it will be permanent,' and described putting 'practices and policies in place' to stop states and organizations from mailing abortion pills into states that ban abortion. The remarks came alongside his broader, contentious confirmation fight, and helped prompt GOP Sen. Susan Collins to announce her opposition. The comments also connected to his confirmation-hearing exchange with Sen. Ted Cruz, in which Blanche agreed to review a Biden-era DOJ memo permitting mailed medication abortion.
How each side frames it
left
"Todd Blanche demonstrated that if confirmed as Attorney General, he will be content to go along with anti-abortion extremists' plan to restrict medication abortion nationwide."
"American Civil Liberties Union chief political and advocacy officer Deirdre Schifeling called Blanche an "anti-abortion yes man" in a statement."
"Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche assured faith leaders last week that the Justice Department is planning to continue to suppress abortion access in the aftermath of the 2022 Supreme Court ruling striking down Roe v. Wade."
"Senators pushed dangerous misinformation about medication abortion and fringe legal theories that would ban abortion nationwide entirely—and Blanche blithely entertained them."
"how can we do it right, so that the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every state"
center
"These comments have been mischaracterized and need to be understood in their full context, which was with respect to mail order abortion drugs, not a broader expansion of federal control over states."
"We don't have complete victory yet, but we will have victory, and victory will be soon, and it will be permanent"
"Blanche 'promised an anti-abortion organization that he would seek to prohibit the mailing of abortion medication to women nationwide'—a position that would dramatically expand federal involvement in abortion policy even after the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision returned abortion regulation to the states."
"Blanche said he would review a 2022 Justice Department memo, a move that could let federal prosecutors target shipments of mifepristone."
"Under questioning from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Blanche suggested the DOJ would review a Biden-era legal opinion that allowed abortion pills to be sent in the mail, potentially paving the way for the government to block mailing of abortion pills and make them harder to access."
right
"In states with pro-life laws, approximately 15,000 babies are dying every month due to mail-order abortions"
"I don't want to talk about litigation strategy here. It's not appropriate … we are not defending what Biden did and will not."
"This would immediately remove dangerous abortion drugs from the mail while the FDA conducts a prompt and rigorous safety review"
"A coalition of red states has been suing the Trump administration over its decision to continue the Biden-era policy of allowing telehealth prescriptions of the abortion drug Mifepristone and making it available by mail."
"I share your concerns, as does this entire administration"
What each side left out
The left left out — covered by the The Hill/Yahoo & Newsweek & Just The News
- The DOJ's on-the-record rebuttal that the comments were 'mischaracterized' and limited to mail-order abortion drugs
- The pro-life framing that mail-order abortion undermines duly-enacted state laws protecting the unborn
The right left out — covered by the Mother Jones & HuffPost & The Independent
- That Dobbs 'permanent in every state' could be read as extending federal restrictions into states where abortion is legal (blue-state shield laws)
- Advocacy warnings that the Comstock Act could be weaponized into a de facto national ban
The center left out — covered by the Just The News
- The specific pro-life claim of '15,000 babies dying every month' from mail-order abortions
- The Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America call for national 14th Amendment personhood protections
The left left out — covered by the The Independent (Google News)
- That Blanche described himself as a 'preacher's kid' sharing the audience's values, contextualizing the call as a faith audience appeal
What's actually true?
[verified] Blanche told faith leaders the DOJ is working to make the Dobbs decision 'permanent in every single state.'
[verified] The recording was posted online by the Christian ministry Intercessors for America and first reported by Politico.
[verified] The DOJ said Blanche's comments were 'mischaracterized' and pertained only to mail-order abortion drugs, not a broader expansion of federal control over states.
[verified] At his confirmation hearing, Blanche agreed to Sen. Ted Cruz's request to review the 2022 DOJ Office of Legal Counsel memo permitting mailed abortion medication.
[verified] Sen. Susan Collins announced she would oppose Blanche's confirmation, citing in part his pledge to prohibit the mailing of abortion medication nationwide.
[verified] The Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturned Roe v. Wade in a 5-4 vote, ending the federal constitutional right to abortion and returning regulation to states.
[verified] The Comstock Act of 1873 (18 U.S.C. 1461) prohibits the mailing of abortion-inducing materials and was never fully repealed; abortion opponents seek to use it against mailed pills.
[verified] Over 80 pro-life organizations sent a letter to Blanche urging him to settle Louisiana v. FDA and end mail-order abortion.
The narrative clash
Whether Blanche's comments amount to expanding federal control over states
Left: Todd Blanche demonstrated that if confirmed as Attorney General, he will be content to go along with anti-abortion extremists' plan to restrict medication abortion nationwide.
Right: These comments have been mischaracterized and need to be understood in their full context, which was with respect to mail order abortion drugs, not a broader expansion of federal control over states.
Whether mifepristone is safe
Left: More than 100 studies have shown mifepristone to be safe and effective for ending an early pregnancy.
Right: This would immediately remove dangerous abortion drugs from the mail while the FDA conducts a prompt and rigorous safety review
Whether a states-only approach to abortion is legitimate
Left: the Pennsylvania Constitution guarantees a fundamental right to reproductive autonomy
Right: The 'states-only' strategy – or the idea that abortion issues should be decided by states only, not federally – is 'not only unjust, it's a massive failure.'
48 sources analyzed
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