President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he will nominate Todd Blanche to serve as the permanent U.S. Attorney General [1].
The move signals a significant shift in the leadership of the Department of Justice, placing a former personal lawyer and loyal ally at the head of the nation's top law enforcement agency [1, 2].
Trump made the announcement during a dinner in Washington, D.C. The remarks were captured in a video shared by a White House aide [1, 3]. The formal nomination is scheduled for Friday, June 5, 2026 [1, 3].
"We are going to make him permanent attorney general," Trump said [1].
Blanche currently serves as the acting Attorney General. During his interim tenure, he has moved to align the department with the president's political priorities [1, 2]. Glenn Thrush of The New York Times said that Blanche has "taken off the gloves" in his current role [2].
The nomination follows controversy surrounding a Department of Justice "lawfare" fund. Reports on the size of the fund vary, with CNBC citing the amount as $1.8 billion [4] and CNN reporting it as $1.776 billion [5].
This fund has drawn sharp criticism from some lawmakers. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the DOJ fund is "utterly stupid, morally wrong" [2].
Trump intends for Blanche to continue aggressively pursuing his administration's agenda at the Justice Department [1, 2]. The appointment is expected to solidify the president's control over federal legal proceedings and the department's overall direction [1, 3].
“"We are going to make him permanent attorney general."”
The appointment of a former personal defense attorney to the role of Attorney General represents a departure from traditional norms regarding the independence of the Department of Justice. By installing a known loyalist, the administration seeks to ensure that the federal legal apparatus is fully synchronized with the president's political and legal strategies, particularly concerning the use of the controversial 'lawfare' fund.
