Josh Hawley Wants Todd Blanche’s Version of the DOJ to Help Him With His Anti-Abortion Agenda

Congress’ asshat of an anti-abortion Slenderman is at it again. 

In an interview with Politico on Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) suggested his nomination for Todd Blanche as attorney general could be contingent on whether Blanche, as AG, would help the lawmaker with his shady anti-abortion dealings. Specifically, Hawley is looking to know whether Blanche would settle various states’ lawsuits against mifepristone, the first of two pills taken in a medication abortion. 

“It would be a shock to me if he says, ‘No, we’re not going to do that,’” Hawley told the outlet. “He’s been very, very good on pro-life issues, so I’m sure he’ll be good on this.” Fight us, Hawley.

Now, the Missouri lawmaker for a long time has railed against access to abortion, and specifically, the abortion pill. For more than a year, Hawley’s been amplifying a bogus “study” published by a far-right think tank claiming mifepristone has “adverse effects,” and eventually last year convinced the FDA to officially re-review it, despite it being marked safe for more than a decade’s worth of studies. In December, it was reported that former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary was delaying the review until after the midterms were over—wreaking tantrums from Hawley—but Makary was fired in May. Last week, the review officially rolled forward.

But, again—here’s your reminder that mifepristone is safe, it serves as a lifeline for people in states where abortion is banned, and that technically, scientists rule it could even be an over-the-counter medication. 

For his part as acting AG, Blanche has made it expressly clear where abortion would stand in his Justice Department, and with him at the helm, the DOJ has accused the Biden administration of “weaponizing” the FACE Act; fired four officials that helped prosecute anti-abortion extremists before Trump’s term began; and last month, had a play in attempting to let Trump funnel to such violent extremists—cash from a slush fund, though it’s since been blocked from doing so. All of which, of course, is what Hawley considers “very, very good.”

And Hawley would be most interested in a Blanche that would also reel in the DOJ, which is currently trying to tank and pause various states’ lawsuits about FDA-approved mifepristone—including that of Missouri and Louisiana—though former reports reveal it’s been mostly in attempt to put things off until after the midterms. 

Blanche’s official nomination for AG was sent from the White House to the Senate on Monday, and to get approved, he will have to clear the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee, where it will take just one Sen. voting “no” to block his confirmation.