President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that he plans to nominate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to permanently lead the Department of Justice, a move that would place one of Trump’s closest legal allies in charge of the nation’s top law enforcement agency.
Trump made the announcement during a White House Rose Garden Club Dinner, according to a video posted on social media by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino. In the clip, Trump said he would instruct his team to begin what he described as a complicated but likely fast-moving nomination process.
The president said Blanche, who has been serving as acting attorney general since April, had done “a very good job” in the role. Trump also suggested that he had been watching how Blanche was received before deciding to move toward making the appointment permanent.
The announcement followed Trump’s comments on the Pod Force One podcast with Miranda Devine, where he was asked whether Blanche would become attorney general on a permanent basis. Trump replied, “I think he will,” and indicated that he was not seriously considering other candidates.
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If formally nominated, Blanche would need Senate confirmation before becoming attorney general. He was previously confirmed as deputy attorney general in 2025 in a largely party-line vote, before later stepping into the acting role after former Attorney General Pam Bondi was removed from the position.
Blanche’s expected nomination is politically significant because of his long relationship with Trump. Before joining the administration, Blanche was one of Trump’s criminal defense attorneys and represented him in several high-profile legal matters. Supporters say that background gives him deep knowledge of the legal system and makes him a loyal defender of Trump’s law-and-order agenda.
Critics, however, are likely to argue that Blanche’s close personal and legal ties to Trump raise concerns about the independence of the Justice Department. The attorney general is expected to lead the department in a way that upholds federal law and maintains public confidence that prosecutions and investigations are not being driven by political loyalty.
The White House praised Blanche after Trump’s remarks. A spokesperson said the president has a strong relationship with the acting attorney general and is pleased with his performance so far. The statement described Blanche as an “American patriot” and defended his role in pushing back against what Trump and his allies have called political “lawfare.”
Blanche has already become a central figure in the Trump administration’s Justice Department. Since taking over the acting role, he has been involved in major policy decisions, including immigration enforcement, politically sensitive investigations and disputes over how far the department should go in pursuing cases tied to Trump’s critics and allies.
His tenure has also included controversy. Blanche recently faced scrutiny over a proposed “anti-weaponization” compensation fund that reportedly would have provided taxpayer-funded payments to people who claimed they had been targeted by the federal government. The proposal drew opposition from Democrats and some Republicans, who worried it could become a political liability and potentially benefit Trump allies. Blanche later testified that the administration was not moving forward with the fund.
That episode could become part of the Senate confirmation debate. Democrats are expected to press Blanche on whether he would preserve the Justice Department’s independence, how he would handle investigations involving Trump’s political opponents, and whether he would resist White House pressure in sensitive criminal matters.
Republicans, meanwhile, are likely to focus on Blanche’s legal background, his previous Senate confirmation, and his work implementing the administration’s public safety and immigration priorities. Many GOP lawmakers have backed Trump’s argument that the Justice Department needs major changes after years of what conservatives describe as politically motivated investigations.
The nomination would come at a time when the Justice Department is already under intense public scrutiny. Trump has repeatedly argued that federal law enforcement was used unfairly against him and his supporters during previous administrations. His critics say he is now attempting to reshape the department into a more politically loyal institution.
Blanche’s confirmation process could therefore become a larger fight over the future of the Justice Department. Lawmakers are likely to debate whether the department should be more directly accountable to the president’s elected agenda or more insulated from political pressure.
The attorney general plays a central role in federal law enforcement, overseeing agencies and divisions that include the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Prisons, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the nation’s U.S. attorneys. The position also shapes major decisions on civil rights, national security, immigration enforcement, public corruption, financial crime and federal prosecutions.
For Trump, naming Blanche would keep a trusted figure at the top of the department at a moment when the administration is pursuing aggressive policies on immigration, crime and what it calls government accountability. For Democrats and watchdog groups, the choice is likely to raise renewed questions about whether personal loyalty is becoming too important in federal law enforcement leadership.
The Senate confirmation fight will determine whether Blanche moves from acting attorney general to permanent head of the Justice Department. With Republicans holding a narrow Senate majority, his path may be possible, but the process is expected to draw sharp partisan debate.
Why It Matters
The nomination matters because the attorney general is one of the most powerful legal officials in the country. The person in that role decides how the Justice Department prioritizes prosecutions, civil rights enforcement, immigration cases, national security matters and investigations involving public officials.
Blanche’s close relationship with Trump makes the nomination especially controversial. Supporters see him as a loyal and experienced lawyer who can carry out the administration’s agenda. Critics are likely to argue that the Justice Department needs independence from the president’s personal and political interests.
What Comes Next
Trump is expected to formally submit Blanche’s nomination to the Senate. Once that happens, Blanche will likely face a confirmation hearing where senators question him about Justice Department independence, politically sensitive investigations, immigration enforcement and his handling of recent controversies.
If the Senate confirms him, Blanche would move from acting attorney general to permanent attorney general. If the nomination runs into resistance, Trump could face pressure to keep him in an acting role or consider another candidate.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino shared video of Trump announcing that he plans to nominate Todd Blanche to permanently lead the Justice Department.
President Trump with an announcement tonight at the @WhiteHouse…
Congratulations @TheJusticeDept @DAGToddBlanche—🇺🇸🦅 pic.twitter.com/7C7N0Gjall
— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) June 4, 2026
