Key Takeaways:
President Trump plans to install his former criminal defense lawyer as permanent head of the Justice Department, rewarding a loyalist who accelerated investigations into political foes.
President Trump said he will nominate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to the post permanently, elevating a former personal lawyer who refocused the Justice Department to target Trump's critics and reward his allies. "He's a very talented guy. Todd's doing a very good job at DOJ," Trump said in an interview with Pod Force One broadcast Wednesday, adding that he believed the confirmation process would "go very quickly."
Trump announced the plan during a White House dinner Wednesday evening, instructing staff to begin the nomination process Thursday, according to video posted by deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino. Blanche has served as acting attorney general since April, when Trump fired Pam Bondi over frustration with the pace of prosecutions against his perceived enemies. The nomination requires Senate confirmation, where Republicans hold a narrow 53-47 majority.
The appointment would cement Trump's control over federal law enforcement as the Justice Department pursues criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and the Southern Poverty Law Center, while a separate Florida-based probe examines whether intelligence officials conspired against the president over the past decade.
Blanche, who represented Trump in all four of his major criminal cases before the 2024 election, has moved aggressively since taking the helm. As deputy attorney general before Bondi's ouster, he oversaw the removal of more than 200 career DOJ officials tied to prior investigations into Trump and orchestrated the dismissal of corruption charges against former New York Mayor Eric Adams.
Since April, Blanche has pushed to revive prosecutions of New York Attorney General Letitia James and accelerated the probe into Comey, who was indicted in April over a social media post. He appointed Joseph diGenova, an 81-year-old former Reagan-era prosecutor, to lead a Florida-based investigation into whether law enforcement and intelligence officials spent the last decade scheming against the president.
The $1.8 Billion Fund That Backfired
Blanche's tenure hit a significant roadblock last month over a proposed $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" that would have compensated people claiming unjust prosecution under prior administrations. The fund emerged from a $10 billion lawsuit Trump brought against the Internal Revenue Service and was widely criticized as a "slush fund" that could benefit those convicted of attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Senate Republicans confronted Blanche about the fund at a contentious GOP conference meeting, with concerns that it could reward violent offenders. On Tuesday, Blanche told lawmakers the Justice Department would abandon the plan after the political blowback threatened to derail a $72 billion immigration enforcement funding package. Trump defended the fund in the podcast interview, saying those he pardoned for the Capitol attack "should be reimbursed for a crooked government."
Confirmation Hurdles Ahead
Blanche's nomination will test his support among Senate Republicans, where near-unanimous GOP backing is required given the narrow majority. His acting term is set to expire around late October, though it could be extended if Trump nominates him or another candidate.
The White House has praised Blanche as "an American patriot who fearlessly fought against the Democrats' unprecedented lawfare campaign on behalf of President Trump," according to spokeswoman Abigail Jackson. Blanche has rejected accusations of politicizing the Justice Department, saying he is focused on correcting what he contends were past abuses by the Biden administration.
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