During a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Senator Adam Schiff engaged in a contentious exchange over the Department of Justice's handling of potential conflicts of interest in cases involving President Trump. Schiff raised questions about whether Blanche had improperly handled recusal decisions, whilst Blanche rejected the allegations and argued the senator was mischaracterising DOJ rules and procedures.

The disagreement centred on interpretations of when DOJ officials must recuse themselves from cases. Blanche maintained that he had followed proper protocols and suggested Schiff, as a lawyer, knew the actual rules but was intentionally distorting them. The exchange underscores ongoing partisan friction between the Trump administration and Democratic lawmakers regarding the DOJ's independence and handling of cases connected to the president.