Trump to Nominate Acting AG Todd Blanche Permanently

President Trump announced Wednesday evening that he will nominate Todd Blanche to serve as the permanent attorney general, elevating his former personal lawyer who has led the Justice Department in an acting capacity since April. The move comes after Trump fired Pam Bondi, whose efforts to target the president's political opponents fell short of expectations.

Trump made the remarks during a Rose Garden Club Dinner at the White House, captured in a video shared by Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino. He said he would instruct his team the next day to begin the formal process, which he predicted would move quickly through the Senate. In a separate interview released the same day, Trump told podcast host Miranda Devine that Blanche had performed well and that no other candidates were under serious consideration.

Blanche, 51, served as one of Trump's defense attorneys in high-profile cases before joining the administration as deputy attorney general. He assumed the top job after Bondi's departure and has since overseen a series of actions aligned with the president's priorities. These include advancing investigations into figures viewed as hostile to Trump and attempting to establish a nearly 1.8 billion dollar fund to compensate individuals who claimed they suffered from past government overreach.

The proposed fund drew sharp opposition from both parties in Congress and ultimately was abandoned earlier this week following a federal court ruling and pressure from lawmakers. Blanche testified before a House committee that the department would not proceed with the payouts. Even so, the underlying settlement provisions limiting IRS audits of Trump's returns remain in place, preserving a key protection for the president.

Critics have portrayed Blanche's tenure as overly partisan, yet supporters argue that aggressive steps are necessary to counter years of documented bias within federal agencies. The Justice Department has long been accused of selective enforcement, from the Russia investigation to the handling of Hunter Biden's legal matters and the treatment of January 6 defendants. Placing a proven loyalist in the permanent role signals an intent to continue reorienting the department away from those patterns.

Senate confirmation will be required, with Republicans holding a slim majority that should allow Blanche to prevail along party lines, much like his earlier 52-46 vote to become deputy. Lawmakers on both sides have already scrutinized his handling of sensitive issues, including the scrapped compensation fund and ongoing cases involving former officials.

Trump's decision reflects a clear preference for someone who demonstrated results in private practice and has moved swiftly to address perceived imbalances since taking over. With Blanche at the helm on a permanent basis, the administration appears positioned to sustain momentum on its law enforcement agenda without further internal disruptions.