President Trump Nominates Todd Blanche as Permanent Attorney General After Interim Role
US President Donald Trump has declared his intention to nominate Todd Blanche, the current Acting Attorney General, to permanently assume the top position at the Department of Justice. The announcement, captured in a video posted by Deputy White House Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, saw Trump state the nomination would occur "tomorrow", expressing confidence in a swift Senate confirmation process.
Blanche, 51, previously served as Trump's personal lawyer, defending him in high-profile cases, including federal prosecutions for allegedly retaining classified documents and attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. These cases were subsequently dropped following Trump's 2024 election victory, consistent with Department of Justice policy not to prosecute sitting presidents.
His interim tenure saw the controversial proposal of an "anti-weaponisation fund" amounting to $1.8bn, intended to compensate individuals allegedly harmed by government overreach. This initiative faced bipartisan opposition and was ultimately suspended by a federal judge. Blanche confirmed its abandonment to lawmakers, stating, "We're not moving forward with the fund, period."
Prior to his current government role, Blanche served as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. He assumed the acting Attorney General position after Pam Bondi’s departure in April. During his time as Deputy Attorney General, Blanche was involved in the Department of Justice's release of documents pertaining to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate.
