President Donald Trump on Monday sent the nomination of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to the Senate, making official his choice to lead the Department of Justice permanently. Blanche, who served as Trump's personal criminal defense attorney before joining the DOJ as deputy, has run the department for two months since Trump fired Pam Bondi.
The move had been telegraphed last week when Trump said he intended to make Blanche the permanent attorney general. Blanche's tenure has been marked by aggressive prosecutions and a controversial settlement that created a $1.776 billion fund labeled as an anti-weaponization measure.
Under Blanche, the DOJ brought indictments against the Southern Poverty Law Center, former Cuban President Raúl Castro, and a second case against ex-FBI Director James Comey. The Comey case accuses him of threatening Trump's life by sharing a photo of seashells on a beach with the numbers 86-47, a reference to a possible assassination date. Blanche also approved the fund after settling a lawsuit where Trump sought $10 billion from the IRS over leaked tax records.
During a congressional appearance Tuesday, Blanche faced bipartisan backlash over the fund and announced the DOJ would not move forward with it. However, he refused to rescind a memo barring prosecutors and the IRS from reviewing Trump's tax returns or those of his family and businesses. Previous reporting from The New York Times and ProPublica indicated Trump could face a $100 million tax liability from audits of those returns.
Blanche easily won confirmation for his deputy role with a 52-46 party-line vote, but his path to attorney general is far rockier. Senate Republicans are furious over the creation of the anti-weaponization fund, with one meeting described as mutinous. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) acknowledged the difficulty, saying that while members are usually deferential to the president's picks, nothing is a safe bet in this environment.
Democrats are united in opposition. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who has backed some Trump nominees, said he will not support Blanche. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued a blistering statement: Donald Trump has been engaged in the most corrupt enterprise in the history of the Presidency. Todd Blanche apparently has not noticed.
Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) quickly endorsed Blanche, calling him well-qualified and dedicated to restoring law and order. But Justice Department watchdog groups are sharply critical. Stacey Young, head of Justice Connection, a DOJ alumni group, said Blanche has never stopped acting as Trump's personal lawyer, using his position to enter corrupt deals, pursue vindictive prosecutions, and destroy institutional norms.
The nomination now heads to a deeply divided Senate, with the GOP's internal tensions over Blanche's actions threatening to derail confirmation. The outcome remains uncertain, as the White House pushes for a quick confirmation while critics argue Blanche's loyalty to Trump disqualifies him from leading the Justice Department.
