Durbin Speaks Against Extreme, Unqualified Trump U.S. Attorney Nominees

May 14, 2026 Durbin Speaks Against Extreme, Unqualified Trump U.S. Attorney Nominees Durbin: “It is even more of an outrage that during Police Week—when we honor law enforcement’s bravery, service, and sacrifice—Senate Republicans are poised to confirm nominees who spread lies about the police officers who protected us from a violent mob of rioters on January 6.” WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke against several U.S. attorney nominees in the en bloc package currently being considered by the Senate who are extreme, unqualified Trump loyalists. During his remarks, Durbin noted that the change Senate Republicans made in the Senate’s rules last year has fundamentally undermined Senators’ ability to fulfill their constitutional duty of advice and consent on nominations. He warned that this new Republican precedent would open the door to jamming through extreme nominees whose only qualification is loyalty to Donald Trump. “U.S. Attorneys are the top federal prosecutors in 94 districts across the country. We rely on them to be above politics, fair-minded prosecutors who protect victims and hold bad actors accountable. They should not be instruments of political retribution ever,” Durbin said. “But as I feared, several U.S. attorney nominees in this en bloc package are extreme.” Durbin continued, “It is even more of an outrage that during Police Week—when we honor law enforcement’s bravery, service, and sacrifice—Senate Republicans are poised to confirm nominees who continue to spread fabrications about the officers who protected me, and other members of the Senate, Republican and Democrat, from the violent mob on January 6.” Durbin then spoke against Darin Smith, nominated to the District of Wyoming. He has stood by his radical and dangerous view that Vice President Pence should not have certified the results of the 2020 election. Additionally, at least seven criminal defendants have filed motions to dismiss charges brought by Smith because he told members of a grand jury that the defendants were “murderers” and that every case before them involved “bad people.” Even the District of Wyoming U.S. Attorney’s Office has admitted Smith’s irresponsible and unprofessional comments were “ill-advised.” “Smith was on the Capitol grounds on January 6… and made the reprehensible claim… that the hundreds of Capitol Police officers who risked their lives that day were guilty of ‘massive incompetence.’ Smith blames the police for what happened on January 6. Without evidence, he claimed that rioters who breached the Capitol were victims of entrapment,” Durbin said. “Moreover, Smith is not remotely qualified to be a U.S. Attorney. He’s going to be in the package—take it or leave it. Prior to becoming the interim U.S. Attorney, he had no courtroom or litigation experience whatsoever. None. And Smith’s lack of experience has had real world consequences.” Durbin then spoke against Phil Williams, nominated to the Northern District of Alabama, who had no prosecutorial experience prior to his nomination. “Williams’s main qualification appears to be that he’s a podcaster and he makes social media posts in which he spouts MAGA orthodoxy… He has whitewashed January 6 and maligned the law enforcement officers—not the mobsters—the policemen who were protecting members of Congress, our staff, and visitors,” Durbin said. “Williams claimed that January 6 rioters were ‘hunted down’ by law enforcement, whom he accused of ‘prosecutorial abuse, many, many times over.’ … Williams called the prosecutions of January 6 rioters ‘the Salem witch trials on a national scale.’ Williams criticized the 87-month sentence imposed on a rioter named Guy Reffitt, claiming he was ‘nonviolent.’ In fact, Reffitt traveled to the Capitol on January 6 wearing body armor, carrying handguns and cuffs, and planning to kidnap Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell. Prior to his arrest, listen to this, Reffitt said to his own minor children, ‘if you turn me in, you’re a traitor, and traitors get shot.’” Finally, Durbin spoke against Dan Bishop, nominated to the Middle District of North Carolina. He is yet another nominee who has no previous experience as a prosecutor. “As a Member of Congress on January 6, 2021, Bishop voted against certifying the 2020 election results. He didn’t accept what is clearly the fact—…President [Trump] lost the 2020 election and President Biden won. Bishop falsely claimed, ‘Democrats’ attack on our elections…was coordinated & widespread.’ Even today, Bishop refuses to disavow debunked crackpot theories about the insurrection,” Durbin said. “He told me, ‘I have heard credible accounts that black-bloc/Antifa agitators were in the crowd and among the first to vandalize the Capitol building, so I think that leftists participated in and perhaps instigated the mayhem in part.’ One of the wild conspiracy theories which he still stands by.” Durbin continued, “There is a clear throughline here with these extreme, unqualified nominees—their MAGA loyalty all but guarantees that they will use their post in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to go after the President’s political opponents. President Trump has nominated these January 6 apologists for another equally concerning reason. He wants to make the case that the 2020 election was stolen to justify interfering in the 2026 elections. And he wants loyal foot soldiers in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices who will help him carry out this mission.” Durbin concluded, “Confirming these nominees to top law enforcement positions, particularly given their attacks on police officers simply for doing their jobs on January 6, is disrespectful to law enforcement—even more so during Police Week. I urge my colleagues today when this package comes before us to oppose these nominees. And because this rancid package of nominees is a take it or leave it on nearly 50 nominees, by all means leave it.” Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here . Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here . Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations. -30- Print Email Share Tweet