Trump Nominates Former Personal Lawyer Todd Blanche as Attorney General

June 9, 2026

Mintesinot Nigussie

The White House has formally sent the nomination of Todd Blanche to the Senate, advancing the former defence lawyer’s bid to permanently lead the Justice Department after weeks of political friction surrounding the agency.

Blanche has overseen the department since April, when US President Donald Trump removed Pam Bondi from the post amid internal dissatisfaction over the handling of files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and concerns inside the administration that prosecutors were not aggressively pursuing Trump’s alleged political adversaries.

The nomination now heads to a narrowly divided Senate where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, forcing Blanche to secure near-unified backing from the party at a time when some Republican lawmakers have increasingly resisted parts of Trump’s agenda.

Political pressure around Blanche intensified after the Justice Department abandoned a proposal to establish a nearly 1.8 billion US dollar fund tied to claims of federal “weaponization.”

Before entering government, Blanche represented Trump in three criminal cases brought against him following his departure from office, cementing his role as one of the president’s closest legal allies.