Trump nominates Todd Blanche as attorney general

President Donald Trump nominated Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer and current acting attorney general, to become the nation’s top law enforcement officer, setting up a Senate confirmation fight over the direction and independence of the Justice Department.

Blanche has served on an interim basis since April 2, when Trump fired Pam Bondi after criticism of her handling of files related to the late Jeffrey Epstein. The Federal Vacancies Reform Act generally limits temporary leaders to 210 days, and Al Jazeera reported that naming Blanche as the nominee could allow Trump to extend his acting tenure beyond that period.

Trump had signaled the move earlier, telling a podcast, “He’s a very talented guy.”

Blanche, a former federal prosecutor in New York, became part of Trump’s legal circle in 2023 as the president faced multiple criminal indictments. He represented Trump in the hush-money case involving adult film actor Stormy Daniels, in which Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Trump denied wrongdoing and received an unconditional discharge, with no fine or custodial sentence. Blanche also represented Trump in federal classified documents and election obstruction cases, both of which were pre-empted by Trump’s electoral victory.

Blanche was confirmed last year as deputy attorney general in a party-line Senate vote of 52 to 46, with all Democrats opposed. His new nomination requires Senate confirmation by a simple majority. Republicans hold 53 seats in the 100-member chamber.

Senator Chuck Grassley, the Republican chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, praised the nomination Monday. “I’ve worked well with acting attorney general Blanche for more than a year and appreciate his commitment to transparency and support for law enforcement,” Grassley said. “Blanche is well-qualified and has shown his dedication to restoring law and order across our country.”

Democrats argue Blanche has remained too closely tied to Trump’s personal interests. Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat and former federal prosecutor on the Judiciary Committee, said Monday, “At every turn, Todd Blanche has been unable to put aside his role as Donald Trump’s criminal defense lawyer and represent the American people instead.” Schiff added, “The Senate must vigorously oppose his confirmation.”

Blanche’s tenure has drawn scrutiny on several fronts. In July, he interviewed convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell about Epstein, her former partner, whose sex-trafficking case has continued to generate public pressure. Maxwell later was moved to a lower-security prison in Texas after testifying in the interview that Trump had committed no wrongdoing, prompting criticism from Democrats.

At a Senate hearing last month, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland accused Blanche of ignoring survivors while focusing on Maxwell. “Mr Blanche, the record is crystal clear. You are still acting as the president’s personal lawyer, not as acting attorney general,” Van Hollen said.

Blanche has defended his approach at the Justice Department. After being named acting attorney general, he told NBC News that the department had worked with outside groups whose mission was to target anti-abortion individuals. “What I can do as its leader, at least right now, is making sure that we continue to push forward on the agenda that we were assigned to do,” he said, describing that agenda as “making America safe again” and addressing “weaponization.”

The Justice Department under Blanche has also pursued charges against former FBI Director James Comey, a Trump critic, over a social media post showing seashells arranged to read “8647.” Prosecutors alleged the post was a threat to Trump, while critics called the case an attack on free speech. The department has also escalated its investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan and removed press releases about prosecutions of rioters who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Another flashpoint is a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund intended to compensate people who say they were politically prosecuted. Blanche was involved in a settlement connected to Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS that, according to the sources, would have blocked audits or past tax claims against Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization. The fund drew bipartisan backlash, including from Republicans, and Blanche later told a House committee it was “not moving forward.”

Outgoing Republican Senator Thom Tillis has said Blanche should condemn January 6 rioters who attacked police officers as a condition for his confirmation vote, according to Al Jazeera. Whether Republican critics join party leaders in backing Blanche may determine how difficult his confirmation fight becomes.