Donald Trump formally nominated Todd Blanche to be the permanent US Attorney General, submitting his nomination to the Senate on June 8 or 9, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]. Blanche has served as acting Attorney General since April 2, 2026, after Trump fired former Attorney General Pam Bondi [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11].
Before becoming acting AG, Blanche worked as Trump's personal lawyer and was deputy attorney general following his Senate confirmation in January 2025 by a 52-46 party-line vote [1, 12, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]. He originally joined Trump's legal team as a defense lawyer in March 2023 [12, 7]. Blanche has pursued politically charged actions as acting Attorney General, including prosecuting Trump critics such as James Comey and seeking to vacate convictions of Proud Boys involved in January 6 cases [1, 12, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10].
Blanche proposed a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" to compensate Trump allies who claimed political persecution by previous administrations. He withdrew the plan after bipartisan backlash and said at a June 2 House subcommittee hearing that the Department of Justice abandoned it, though he refused to put the cancellation in writing [1, 12, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said Blanche is "well-qualified" and that committee work to process the nomination is underway [11].
Blanche previously served as a federal prosecutor before joining Trump's legal team and oversaw immunity agreements shielding Trump and related parties from IRS actions tied to a $10 billion lawsuit [12, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10]. His tenure has drawn criticism from Democrats, some Republicans, and advocacy groups over politicizing the Justice Department, and his handling of Jeffrey Epstein files prompted privacy concerns [1, 12, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10].
The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, where Trump's Republicans hold a slim 53-47 majority. Some Senate Republicans face pressure or opposition around Blanche's confirmation [1, 12, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]. The Senate Judiciary Committee intends to advance Blanche's nomination promptly as the hearing process begins [11].
