Trump Nominates Todd Blanche for Attorney General as Senate Fight Begins
President Donald Trump has formally nominated Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer, to serve permanently as U.S. attorney general, turning a temporary Justice Department role into a Senate confirmation fight.
Blanche is currently serving as acting attorney general after Pam Bondi’s exit. The permanent job requires Senate approval, and Reuters reported that Republicans hold a narrow 53–47 majority, leaving little room for GOP defections if Democrats oppose him.
The fight is already taking shape around one question: whether Blanche can lead the Justice Department independently after representing Trump in major legal matters.
Supporters are framing Blanche as an experienced lawyer and former federal prosecutor. Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley praised him as qualified, according to Reuters.
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Democrats are taking a sharply different view. Dick Durbin, Adam Schiff and Chris Van Hollen criticized the nomination, arguing that Blanche’s relationship with Trump and actions as acting attorney general raise serious concerns about DOJ independence.
The appointment also fits a broader Trump personnel pattern, placing loyalists and legal allies into powerful roles across the federal government, especially in agencies connected to investigations, enforcement and executive authority.
For Blanche, the next step is the Senate process. His nomination gives Democrats a high-profile forum to challenge Trump’s Justice Department strategy, while forcing Republicans to decide whether loyalty concerns are enough to slow one of the president’s most important appointments.
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