Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, initiated the confirmation hearing for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche with a line of questioning about sexual favors and harassment, a practice she has employed in previous hearings. Her queries drew swift criticism from conservative commentators and users on social media.
Hirono asked Blanche, "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 nature?" Blanche responded, "No, Senator." She followed up by asking if he had ever faced discipline or entered into a settlement related to such conduct, to which he also replied, "No, Senator."
The White House Rapid Response account on X criticized Hirono's questioning, calling it a "joke" and noting that she was asking an "esteemed professional with an honorable record in public service." Social media users echoed this sentiment, with the Republican National Lawyers Association posting, "Raise your hand if you're tired of @maziehirono's favorite Senate Judiciary line of questioning." Others described the questions as "deranged" and "stupid."
Hirono has used similar questioning in past confirmation hearings, including for Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum in the previous year. She stated in 2018 that she began asking nominees about a history of sexual assault or harassment, inspired by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. She first employed this line of questioning during the confirmation hearing for judicial nominee Kurt Engelhardt during the Trump administration.