U.S. President Donald Trump officially nominated Todd Blanche, his closest confidant and former personal criminal defense attorney who is serving as acting attorney general, to fill the vacant post of attorney general. By placing a "die-hard loyalist" in charge of the justice system, a position that demands strict political independence and neutrality, a fierce backlash is erupting.
On the 8th (local time), according to reports from major outlets including the New York Times (NYT) and CNBC, President Trump selected Acting Attorney General Blanche as the formal nominee for attorney general and sent the nomination to the Senate. He decided to make the appointment official a little over two months after dismissing former Minister Pam Bondi on Apr. 2 and naming Blanche as acting. Blanche, the nominee, was a key figure who handled the defense in major criminal cases in which President Trump was indicted during former President Joe Biden's administration. He served as lead counsel in cases including alleged hush money payments over a sex scandal and the unlawful removal of classified documents, and is credited with helping to completely shed the legal risk.
The political world is raising concerns that the appointment poses a serious conflict of interest. While serving as acting, nominee Blanche faithfully carried out President Trump's requests, inviting controversy over bias. In particular, he fueled controversy by pushing to establish a $1.8 billion fund for judicial victims in exchange for quashing Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The agreement included a clause barring any future, permanent investigation or prosecution of the Trump family's tax issues. In addition, the possibility emerged that compensation could flow to those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol, provoking a strong backlash not only from Democrats but also within the Republican Party.
The opposition camp pushed back hard. At a congressional hearing on the 2nd, Rep. Rosa DeLauro sharply pressed nominee Blanche, asking, "As acting U.S. attorney general, do you believe there is no conflict of interest in what you are doing?" Blanche responded, "I cannot understand what you are calling a conflict of interest." Sen. Dick Durbin also said in a statement that day, "Donald Trump has been involved in the most corrupt business in presidential history, but Todd Blanche clearly failed to notice it," delivering a direct hit.
As the controversy grew, nominee Blanche said he would permanently halt the fund push, but refused to put it in writing. The handling of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein also came under scrutiny. Former Minister Bondi, in a recent closed-door House inquiry, identified Blanche as the person responsible for the release of files on Epstein, a sex offender who exploited minors. At the time, the Justice Department faced allegations that it failed to redact victims' names as required or intentionally omitted numerous documents. For Blanche to take office formally, he must clear the Senate confirmation hurdle, but with questions piling up over his qualifications and ethics, a fierce showdown appears inevitable. Meanwhile, President Trump, at a private White House event on the 3rd, previewed the nomination through Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and others.