US Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed the Republican Party's midterm convention in Dallas, an appearance critics say breaks with the long-standing convention that America's top law enforcement official stays out of party politics. Former Justice Department officials and Democrats, including ex-Attorney General Eric Holder, condemned the move as inappropriate and potentially at odds with the Hatch Act, which restricts political activity by federal officials; the Justice Department has not responded to requests for comment. The row comes as the flagship prosecution of Blanche's tenure, the criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey, has stalled, with Comey's lawyers arguing the charges against him were politically motivated and selective.

Blanche, previously Donald Trump's personal defence lawyer, became acting attorney general after Pam Bondi's dismissal in April and was confirmed by the Senate in August, making this his first full month in the role outright. He secured a second indictment against Comey shortly after taking over in an acting capacity, though a judge has yet to rule on defence motions to dismiss the case, and no court has found any wrongdoing by Blanche. At the convention, held over two nights through Thursday with Trump headlining both, Blanche praised the administration's deportation record, describing his appearance as being in a "personal capacity" — a characterisation Holder dismissed as "unprecedented" and "disgraceful".