Trump Nominates Former Personal Lawyer Todd Blanche as Attorney General

President Trump announced his intention to nominate Todd Blanche, his former personal defense attorney, to permanently lead the Department of Justice. Blanche had been serving as acting Attorney General since April 2026 after Trump fired Pam Bondi. The nomination has sparked bipartisan concern, with critics arguing that Blanche has politicized the DOJ by aggressively targeting Trump's political enemies for prosecution and establishing a controversial $1.8 billion fund to compensate alleged victims of 'government weaponization.' Multiple Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee, including Senator Chuck Grassley and Senator Lindsey Graham, have expressed reservations about confirming someone who previously served as Trump's personal lawyer, raising concerns about the independence of the Justice Department and potential abuse of prosecutorial power for political purposes. Under Blanche's acting tenure, the DOJ has initiated investigations into several Democratic officials and for...

"Todd Blanche has shown the courage to stand up to the weaponization of our justice system, and now he'll make it right as our next Attorney General." — Trump's statement announcing Blanche's nomination, framing the choice as correcting alleged politicization while critics argue it represents the actual politicization of DOJ