Trump Nominates Todd Blanche for Attorney General on Permanent Basis

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 2026.
• ▪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