Trump to Nominate Acting AG Todd Blanche Permanently

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will formally nominate Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general on a permanent basis, elevating his onetime defense attorney who has led the Justice Department in an acting capacity since April.

Trump made the announcement during a private Rose Garden dinner at the White House, according to a video posted online by Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino. "Tomorrow I'm instructing Dan and everybody else that's involved in that very complicated process, which is gonna go, I think, very quickly, that we are going to make him permanent attorney general," Trump said. He had signaled his intent a day earlier during an interview on the Pod Force One podcast, telling host Miranda Devine that Blanche would likely get the job and that he was not considering other candidates.

Blanche, 51, took over as acting attorney general after Trump fired Pam Bondi in early April. The president had grown frustrated with Bondi for failing to deliver swift prosecutions of his perceived political opponents, according to multiple reports. Blanche had previously served as deputy attorney general after being confirmed by the Senate last year in a 52-46 party-line vote. Before entering the administration, he represented Trump in several criminal cases, including the federal classified documents prosecution and the New York hush money trial that ended in conviction.

Since assuming the acting role, Blanche has moved aggressively to align the department with Trump's priorities. He has overseen expanded investigations targeting figures viewed as adversaries by the White House and announced plans for a nearly $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate individuals, including some Trump allies, who claimed they suffered from prior government actions. The proposal drew immediate bipartisan criticism, with Republican lawmakers joining Democrats in opposing the use of taxpayer money for such payouts, particularly amid concerns that it could benefit Jan. 6 defendants. Under pressure, the department scrapped the fund earlier this week. Blanche confirmed the reversal during testimony before lawmakers, stating the idea was dead. A federal judge had already suspended aspects of the plan to allow legal challenges to proceed.

Trump has praised Blanche's performance, telling reporters he wanted to see how the acting attorney general was received and concluding that he had done a good job. The president indicated the formal nomination paperwork would move forward Thursday and expressed confidence that Senate confirmation would happen quickly. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber, which could ease passage, though Democrats are expected to scrutinize Blanche's record and question whether his close personal ties to Trump will compromise the department's independence.

The move comes as the Justice Department continues to handle sensitive matters, including settlements tied to Trump's own prior lawsuits and ongoing disputes over agency authority. Blanche has also clashed with judges and dismissed internal critics while advancing policies such as crackdowns on federal benefit fraud. Critics argue these steps reflect a broader effort to weaponize federal law enforcement in service of one individual's political goals rather than impartial justice.

If confirmed, Blanche would become the first former personal lawyer to hold the position of attorney general in modern times, raising fresh questions about the erosion of traditional boundaries between the White House and the nation's top law enforcement office. The Senate confirmation process is likely to examine his rapid ascent and the department's recent reversals under his leadership.