Analysis · Floor speech · beta

Patty Murray

Democrat on Nomination of Todd Blanche (Executive Calendar) 2026-08-05

482 words · 25 sentences · 32 clauses

Statement grade

B+

Average 80 / 100

A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.

Claims 62%Positioning 25%Reasoning 2%Procedure 10%

This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.

Mr. President, Claims · 43 wordsI was never going to come out here and support Todd Blanche for a long list of reasons. I do believe he is one of the most corrupt Justice Department officials in our country’s history, for one. He was Trump’s former personal lawyer, ¹Positioning · 21 wordsand it seems that he never quit. The only difference now is that taxpayers are signing his checks instead of Trump.Positioning Claims · 106 wordsHe was the one who negotiated a $1.8 billion slush fund to pay off violent insurrectionists and who cut a backroom deal to give the President and his entire corrupt family immunity from IRS investigations, not to forget that Todd Blanche is the guy who botched the Epstein file so badly that survivors had their names and faces exposed while the names of alleged abusers were hidden.² This is a man who wouldn’t meet with survivors until Senators put him under a tremendous amount of public pressure. When the meeting eventually got on the books, the survivors made it crystal clear Blanche didn’t listen to them. Positioning · 17 wordsHe was more interested in checking a box than in hearing their stories or bringing them justice.Positioning Reasoning · 10 wordsAll of that is, of course, absolutely unacceptable and disqualifying, Procedure · 27 wordsbut I come here today to sound the alarm on some of the most disturbing comments I have ever heard from the Nation’s top law enforcement official.Procedure Claims · 67 wordsI guess Todd Blanche thought no one was listening because, on a private call with anti-abortion activists, Mr. Blanche told us all exactly what he plans to do if Senators confirm him.³ His goal was to make the Dobbs decision ``permanent in every single state’’--``every single state’’--not just in Texas or Idaho.⁴ He wants to ban abortion in Washington State, in California, in New York--in every State. Procedure · 3 wordsHe told them: ProcedurePositioning · 41 wordsVictory over what exactly? Victory over women who just want to make their own healthcare decisions? Victory over patients in States where abortion is legal--where voters have said over and over at the ballot box: Keep your hands off our rights?Positioning Claims · 24 wordsA DOJ spokesperson tried to clean up Blanche’s words, saying he was only focused on restricting access to medication abortion in all 50 States, ⁵Positioning · 6 wordsas if that is somehow better.Positioning Procedure · 5 wordsI am here to say: ProcedureClaims · 11 wordsI will believe the tape. I believe Todd Blanche’s own words. Procedure · 10 wordsSo let’s be crystal clear about what this vote is.Procedure Claims · 20 wordsA vote to confirm Todd Blanche is a vote to endorse his fight to ban abortion in all 50 States. Positioning · 37 wordsWhatever happened to this being a State’s decision? Every Republican who votes yes is voting for exactly that--his words, not mine--and any Republican who votes to confirm him will own that in every State, in every way.Positioning Claims · 30 wordsThis isn’t just a confirmation vote anymore; it is a rollcall vote in which Senators endorse banning abortion in all 50 States at the Federal level. I am voting no. Procedure · 4 wordsI yield the floor.Procedure

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 59

15 of 15 deductions are Signal

Signal checks whether every part makes a point, gives a reason, or asks for action. A low score means the speaker filled time with fluff, pleasantries, or attacks.

Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “and it seems that he never quit.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “The only difference now is that taxpayers are signing his checks instead of Trump.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “He was more interested in checking a box than in hearing their stories or bringing them justice.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “but I come here today to sound the alarm on some of the most disturbing comments I have ever heard from the Nation’s top law enforcement official.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “He told them:”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Victory over what exactly?”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Victory over women who just want to make their own healthcare decisions?”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Victory over patients in States where abortion is legal--where voters have said over and over at the ballot box:”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Keep your hands off our rights?”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “as if that is somehow better.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “I am here to say:”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “So let’s be crystal clear about what this vote is.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Whatever happened to this being a State’s decision?”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Every Republican who votes yes is voting for exactly that--his words, not mine--and any Republican who votes to confirm him will own that in every State, in every way.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “I yield the floor.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · no score

Not applicable: nothing to answer. Excluded from the average.

Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue.

Respect · no score

Not checked: graded before this measurement existed. Excluded from the average.

Respect checks whether the speaker argued with people’s positions and records rather than attacking the people: insults, mockery, or bad motives assigned to them. Criticism of what someone did, however strong, is not marked.

Clarity · 100

0 of 15 deductions are Clarity

Clarity checks for plain speaking, clear ownership of actions, and honest limits on certainty. A low score means vague promises or evasive language.

Nothing lost points.

Claims · 5

This list shows the factual statements you can check for yourself: the words as said, and the claim restated to stand on its own.

1“Trump’s former personal lawyer”Todd Blanche was formerly Donald Trump’s personal lawyer.search
2“negotiated a $1.8 billion slush fund”Todd Blanche negotiated a $1.8 billion fund that Murray describes as a slush fund to pay insurrectionists.search
3“on a private call with anti-abortion activists”Todd Blanche made remarks about abortion policy on a private call with anti-abortion activists.search
4“His goal was to make the Dobbs decision ``permanent in every single state’’”On the call, Todd Blanche said his goal was to make the Dobbs decision permanent in every single state.search
5“A DOJ spokesperson tried to clean up Blanche’s words, saying he was only focused on restricting access to medication abortion in all 50 States”A DOJ spokesperson said Blanche was focused on restricting access to medication abortion in all 50 states.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15