“America is safer with Todd Blanche at the helm of the Justice Department.
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Trump Nominates Acting AG Todd Blanche for Permanent Attorney General
June 4, 2026
President Trump announced on June 3-4, 2026 his intent to permanently nominate Todd Blanche as Attorney General. Blanche, Trump's former personal criminal defense attorney, has been serving as acting AG since Pam Bondi was fired in April. His tenure as acting AG has been marked by controversy: pursuing indictments against Trump critics, rolling back gun control enforcement, and most recently announcing the DOJ would not move forward with the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund — the same day Trump said he'd "have to ask the lawyers" about its status. Critics say Blanche continues to act as Trump's personal lawyer rather than the nation's chief law enforcement officer. The confirmation battle stalled in late July 2026. Blanche testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 15, and Ranking Member Dick Durbin spoke against the nomination at a July 23 markup, citing more than 1,200 former career DOJ employees who opposed him. On the night of Wednesday, July 29, the committee postponed the vote scheduled for Thursday, July 30, after Republican Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) said they were not prepared to vote yes. Both wanted written assurances from the Justice Department about the settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the IRS, which Blanche oversaw as acting AG. That settlement created the now-canceled $1.8 billion fund that could have compensated Trump allies, and barred the IRS from audits or other enforcement actions on tax returns filed by the president, his family, or his business entities before the May settlement. The standoff broke over the following weekend. Blanche said on Sunday, August 2 that he had reached a deal to amend the settlement, and Cornyn and Tillis said the agreement satisfied their concerns. The Judiciary Committee advanced the nomination 12-10 on a party-line vote on Tuesday, August 4, sending it to the full Senate. Hours later, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) announced she would vote against confirmation, saying Blanche had taken actions that further eroded the Justice Department's independence. With all 45 Democrats and both independents expected to oppose him, Blanche can afford to lose only one more Republican.
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27 Statements
“If you want to wipe out corruption, you can't have the president's personal attorney as the Attorney General. Todd Blanche has no intention of stopping Trump's corruption. He advanced his career enabling it.
“What I'm worried about is that there is statutory authority to do this kind of garbage, and I'd like to figure out a way to nuke it before I get out of here.
“This nation deserves an attorney general who loves the Constitution more than he loves the president. Sadly, for our nation, Todd Blanche is not that person.
“This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances.
“If there is ever a moment in history when we need an Attorney General above reproach, who is clearly dedicated to ending corruption, even at the highest level of our government, it's right now.
“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration. I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.
“Given this agreement with Mr. Blanche, I expect the department to live up to this in future litigation. The department does not need a temporary, unconfirmed nominee as our nation’s top law enforcement officer.
“His word is not enough for most, not even for some of my Republican friends.
“Today, I’m not only voting to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination, I’m voting for the safety of the American people. It’s just common sense, what Tillis and Cornyn are asking out of the executive branch of government.
“While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political. Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation.
“We want to express our gratitude to Mr. Blanche and his staff for working with us on this.
“We are working on getting a solution.
“We’re trying to help them get to a conclusion here, and they won’t let us. It’s befuddling to me. They refused to commit to writing what he testified to under oath, and it’s not a big ask.
“I don’t think there’s a game being played here. I think that Blanche genuinely wants to get it done because he recognizes it as the distraction that it is. It may mean that he’s got to go through and tell the boss or somebody else to sign off on it. But none of this is secret.
“Everything we heard from Todd Blanche at his hearing last week indicates that, if confirmed as Attorney General, Blanche will continue to serve the interest of Donald Trump, not the American people. This agreement that was signed by Blanche — to say that that is "commonplace," it is far from "commonplace."
“Every Republican on the committee voted for him. I believe Todd Blanche has enough Republican support to be confirmed as attorney general.
“Hard to say.
“This is an environment where nothing's a safe or a sure bet these days. Most of our members are pretty deferential to who the president wants.
“You are a member of the president's Cabinet. But you're also the chief law enforcement officer. You're not the president's lawyer. So, I'll be asking some questions about getting commitments.
“Blanche not only shields Trump from the law, he uses the justice system to go after his boss' political enemies. Unless Republicans want to remain complicit in Trump's corruption, they ought to oppose Blanche as well.
“They better not have said for one minute that the people that beat up police officers on January 6 were righteous people. That's one of my criteria — no equivocation on January 6.
“Trump picked Blanche because he's loyal to the president alone, not the Constitution, not the rule of law, and certainly not to the American people, and not to the values that this country has had for 250 years.
“Being attorney general is probably one of the hardest jobs in the Cabinet, because you're working for the president, but you're also supposed to be able to tell the president 'no.'
“He is wholly unqualified. He will prioritize loyalty to President Trump rather than serve as an independent law enforcement leader. I do not believe Todd Blanche has the votes to be confirmed as Attorney General.
“No equivocation on January 6. Passing legislation to eliminate Trump's anti-weaponization fund would improve Blanche's chances of confirmation.
“Todd Blanche will be nominated to serve as Attorney General of the United States.