Trump Plans to Nominate Todd Blanche as Permanent Attorney General

President Donald Trump has announced his intention to formally nominate Todd Blanche for the position of Attorney General on a permanent basis. Currently serving as the Acting Attorney General, Blanche would assume the role of the administration’s chief prosecutor if the Senate confirms the appointment. The Attorney General holds the highest law enforcement post within the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Blanche stepped into the interim leadership role in April, following the dismissal of Pam Bondi. A steadfast ally of the president, Blanche has represented Trump in multiple legal battles, including federal charges concerning the alleged mishandling of classified documents during the post-presidency period.

The announcement was made late Wednesday via a video posted by Deputy White House Chief of Staff Dan Scavino. In the recording, Trump stated he would submit the nomination "tomorrow" and expressed confidence that the Senate confirmation process would proceed "very quickly." This follows recent praise from the President, who described Blanche on the Pod Force One podcast earlier in the week as "a very talented guy" who is "doing a very good job at DOJ."

Blanche’s tenure has not been without controversy. He recently spearheaded the DOJ’s effort to create an "anti-weaponisation fund," designed to allocate $1.8 billion (£1.3 billion) to individuals claiming harm from government overreach. The initiative faced resistance from both opposition Democrats and several Republican lawmakers. Additionally, the plan encountered a legal hurdle when a federal judge ordered its suspension to permit a legal challenge to proceed. However, during testimony before lawmakers on Tuesday, Blanche confirmed the initiative had been abandoned, stating, "We're not moving forward with the fund, period."

Before entering the second Trump administration, Blanche served as the President’s personal attorney. He played a key role in defending Trump against federal prosecutions related to the alleged retention of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Both cases were dismissed after Trump secured victory in the 2024 election, aligning with the DOJ’s longstanding policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.

Born in Colorado at age 51, Blanche earned his undergraduate degree from American University in Washington, DC. He received his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 2003. His legal career included significant time as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, followed by brief stints in private practice at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.

In his capacity as Deputy Attorney General, Blanche worked alongside Bondi on the release of documents pertaining to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In July, he interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein associate currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in the crimes. Blanche also previously held the position of acting Librarian of Congress.

Blanche’s rise to the top DOJ role occurred after Bondi’s departure at the start of April. At that time, he refuted media speculation that Bondi’s handling of the Epstein files influenced Trump’s decision to remove her. Bondi has since announced her upcoming appointment to the White House’s new advisory council on AI, known as the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science Technology.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-04 08:11:25 UTC