Trump says he will nominate acting AG Todd Blanche to permanently lead Justice Department
Trump Plans to Nominate Todd Blanche as Permanent Attorney General
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday evening that he intends to nominate Todd Blanche, who has been serving as acting Attorney General since early April, to permanently lead the Department of Justice.
The President made the announcement during the Rose Garden Club Dinner at the White House in a video posted to social media by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino. According to Trump, the formal nomination process would begin the following day.
"Tomorrow I'm instructing Dan and everybody else that's involved in that very complicated process, which is gonna go, I think, very quickly, that we are going to make him permanent Attorney General," Trump said.
The nomination comes after Trump signaled just hours earlier during an interview on the Pod Force One podcast that Blanche was likely to receive the permanent appointment. When host Miranda Devine asked whether Blanche would become attorney general, Trump replied, "I think he will." The President also stated he was not actively considering other candidates for the position.
Blanche assumed the role of acting Attorney General following the firing of Pam Bondi in early April. Trump expressed confidence in Blanche's performance during his interim tenure, citing the positive reception he received in the role.
"I wanted to see how he's received," Trump said. "You know, we put him as acting, and he's done a very good job, but I've known him a long time."
CNN first reported Wednesday evening that the White House was expected to move forward with nominating Blanche. When reached for comment, the White House stopped short of formally confirming the nomination but offered praise for the acting attorney general.
"President Trump has a great relationship with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and is very pleased with the job he's doing so far," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement. "Todd Blanche is an American patriot who fearlessly fought against the Democrats' unprecedented lawfare campaign on behalf of President Trump. The President's entire team at the Department of Justice is doing a great job advocating for sanity, law and order, and policies that keep Americans safe."
If nominated, Blanche would require Senate confirmation to assume the permanent position. He previously won confirmation as the Justice Department's second-in-command in 2025, securing the role of Deputy Attorney General through a party-line vote of 52-46.
