The Nomination and Timeline
President Donald Trump nominated Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general on Monday, formalizing the role Blanche has held on an acting basis since April. The Senate formally received the nomination, setting in motion what multiple sources describe as a contentious confirmation fight. Blanche has served as acting attorney general for roughly 67 days since Trump fired Pam Bondi on April 2. Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, temporary leaders are generally capped at 210 days, but naming a nominee allows Trump to legally extend the interim period beyond that threshold.
Blanche was previously the No. 2 official at the Department of Justice before his promotion. Trump described him as "a very talented guy" during remarks at a private event earlier in the week. The former federal prosecutor in New York represented Trump in multiple criminal cases, including the hush-money case involving adult film actress Stormy Daniels, in which Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts for falsifying business records. Blanche also represented Trump in the federal classified documents case and election obstruction cases, both of which were halted by Trump's electoral victory.
Republican Support and Confirmation Path
Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee that must confirm a new attorney general, called Blanche "well-qualified." Grassley stated he had "worked well with acting attorney general Blanche for more than a year and appreciate his commitment to transparency and support for law enforcement." Republicans hold a narrow 53-seat majority in the 100-person Senate chamber.
Blanche previously faced Senate confirmation as deputy attorney general on March 5 of last year, winning approval in a party-line vote of 52 to 46, with all Democrats in opposition. However, his year as acting attorney general has raised new questions about whether some Republicans might break ranks. Outgoing Senator Thom Tillis called on Blanche to condemn January 6 rioters who attacked police officers as a condition for his confirmation vote.
Democratic Opposition and Specific Criticisms
Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat and former federal prosecutor on the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a statement opposing confirmation. Schiff cited Blanche's support for indicting James Comey, the former FBI director, for posting an Instagram photo of seashells arranged to read "8647." Schiff also pointed to Blanche's decree that Trump and his family should be exempt from prosecution or audits by the IRS, and his approval of a $1.8 billion fund to reward Trump supporters who claim they were prosecuted on political grounds.
"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 said. "The Senate must vigorously oppose his confirmation." Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, questioned Blanche at a Senate hearing about his handling of the Epstein files, noting that after Blanche interviewed convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell, she was moved to a lower security prison camp with special perks. "You are still acting as the president's personal lawyer, not as acting attorney general," Van Hollen said.
Controversial Actions as Acting Attorney General
Under Blanche's leadership, the Justice Department has pursued a series of actions that Democrats characterize as weaponized. Federal prosecutors moved to vacate seditious conspiracy convictions against the Proud Boys, some of the most serious cases from January 6. The department fired career prosecutors and released a report accusing them of wrongfully targeting anti-abortion protesters. The Justice Department also jump-started an investigation into John Brennan and other Obama-era officials, charged the Southern Poverty Law Center with an 11-count indictment, and filed a criminal case against Comey over a social media post that experts say is likely to be dismissed.
Blanche personally signed a separate agreement giving Trump, his family, and related entities immunity from tax audits on returns filed before the agreement. The fund faced bipartisan backlash, with Pennsylvania Republican Brian Fitzpatrick drafting legislation with bipartisan support to explicitly block its creation. On Tuesday, Blanche announced the fund had been axed.
Broader Political Context
Vice President JD Vance announced Monday that he was referring Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, both Democrats, to the Justice Department for a criminal fraud investigation involving social services programs. Vance leads the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which was created in February after Trump announced a "war on fraud" in his State of the Union address. The referral came after a Republican-led House Oversight Committee report alleged that Minnesota state officials were "aware of widespread taxpayer fraud in federally funded social programs for years" and did not take steps to stop it.
Walz's office dismissed the GOP report, with the governor previously calling a related federal action a "campaign of retribution" and saying Trump was "weaponizing the entirety of the federal government to punish blue states like Minnesota." The Justice Department had launched a separate probe into Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in January, alleging they conspired to impede federal immigration enforcement through public statements. Walz has called that investigation politically motivated.
