Trump Signals Todd Blanche as Top Pick for Permanent Attorney General

President Donald Trump has signaled that he is likely to nominate Todd Blanche as the permanent U.S. attorney general after Blanche took over leadership of the Justice Department in April. Blanche assumed the role following the firing of Pam Bondi, which came amid tensions over the department’s handling of files linked to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and concerns within the White House that the agency was not acting aggressively enough against what Trump allies viewed as political opponents.

Senate Confirmation Could Be a Challenge

Blanche, 51, faces a potentially difficult confirmation process despite Republicans holding a narrow 53-47 majority in the Senate. Some Republican senators, along with several White House aides, have criticized his support for a proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund for people who claimed they were victims of alleged government “weaponization.”

Justice Department Drops Controversial Fund Proposal

The proposed fund sparked strong opposition from both Republicans and Democrats and threatened to complicate negotiations over a $72 billion package aimed at supporting Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. Blanche told lawmakers this week that the Justice Department would not move forward with the plan.

However, Trump later said he was unsure whether the proposal had been fully canceled or simply paused. Speaking at the White House, Trump described the idea as a “beautiful thing” and said he strongly supported it.

Major Policy Moves Under Blanche

Since becoming acting attorney general, Blanche has overseen several significant changes. The Justice Department removed press releases related to January 6 Capitol attack cases, issued a report criticizing past prosecutions of anti-abortion activists, and pursued criminal charges involving the Southern Poverty Law Center and former FBI Director James Comey, a longtime Trump critic.