Trump Nominates Todd Blanche for Attorney General on Permanent Basis

Jun 4, 2026

President Donald Trump will nominate Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer, to the post permanently. Blanche, a loyal ally who defended Trump in dropped federal cases, replaced Pam Bondi in April. His interim tenure included a scrapped $1.8B "anti-weaponization fund." The nomination now heads to the Senate for confirmation, which Trump expects to proceed "very quickly."

Todd Blanche attorney general nomination

▪President Trump praised Todd Blanche on the Pod Force One podcast, calling him a "very talented guy."
▪Todd Blanche became Acting Attorney General after President Trump removed Pam Bondi from the role in April.
▪The US attorney general is the top law enforcement position at the Department of Justice (DOJ).
▪President Donald Trump announced he will nominate Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to the role on a permanent basis.

Blanche Trump defense work

▪Todd Blanche defended Donald Trump in a federal prosecution for allegedly withholding classified documents after his first term.
▪Todd Blanche also represented Donald Trump in a case over alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election loss.
▪The classified documents and 2020 election cases against Donald Trump were dropped after he won the 2024 election, per DOJ policy.
▪Prior to joining the Trump administration, Todd Blanche served as Donald Trump's personal lawyer.

Anti-weaponization fund controversy

▪Todd Blanche led a DOJ effort to create a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" for people allegedly harmed by government overreach.
▪The proposed "anti-weaponization fund" faced opposition from some Republican lawmakers and Democrats.
▪A federal judge suspended the fund to allow a legal challenge, and Todd Blanche later testified the DOJ was no longer pursuing it.

Pam Bondi departure

▪When Pam Bondi was removed as Acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche denied reports that her handling of the Epstein files was a factor.
▪Pam Bondi is set to join the White House's new advisory council on AI, the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Epstein files release

▪As deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche was involved in the DOJ's release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
▪In July, Todd Blanche interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Senate confirmation process

▪President Trump stated he believed the Senate confirmation process for Todd Blanche would proceed "very quickly".
▪Todd Blanche's permanent appointment as Attorney General requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate.