Trump lawyer Todd Blanche faces Senate confirmation for attorney general, with his hearing scheduled for July 15-16, 2026, before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Blanche, 51, is the former personal defense attorney who led Trump’s legal team in the Manhattan hush-money trial and has served as acting attorney general since April 2, 2026.
President Trump nominated Blanche for the top Justice Department role on June 8, 2026, seeking to formalize what has been an acting position for over two months. The White House said Blanche was nominated to be attorney general after serving in the role since Pam Bondi’s firing on April 2.
Blanche was previously confirmed by the Senate as deputy attorney general in March 2025 by a 52-46 party-line vote, according to Congress.gov. His path to confirmation as attorney general is less certain, however, even though Republicans control the chamber. Key Republican senators have so far reserved judgment on whether they’ll support him in the top role.
As a former federal prosecutor and partner at a major law firm, Blanche represented Trump in three of the four criminal cases the former president faced. He led the defense team in Trump’s New York case involving hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, which resulted in a conviction in May 2024, according to The Guardian and other sources.
Democrats have signaled strong opposition to Blanche’s nomination. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania said he would vote against the nomination, citing concerns about Blanche’s record, according to The Hill. Multiple advocacy groups, including the Alliance for Justice and the Constitutional Accountability Center, have called on the Senate to block his confirmation.
Blanche’s tenure as acting attorney general has drawn scrutiny. During his time in the role, he has overseen controversial indictments and investigations, according to CBS News. A court in July 2010 allowed the DOJ to conceal records related to Blanche’s communications before the confirmation hearing, according to American Oversight.
The New York Times reported that Blanche is unique among recent cabinet nominees in that he is basically seeking confirmation for a job he has already been doing for over a year. If confirmed, he would become the first acting attorney general in modern history to have been the president’s personal criminal defense lawyer, according to Politico.
Sources
- Congress.gov — Confirmed Blanche as deputy attorney general by 52-46 vote on March 5, 2025
- The White House — Nomination sent to Senate on June 8, 2026
- Ballotpedia — Confirmation hearing scheduled for July 15-16, 2026
- The Guardian — Blanche led Trump’s defense in Manhattan hush-money trial involving Stormy Daniels charges
- The Hill — Senator John Fetterman announced opposition to confirmation
- CBS News — Blanche oversaw controversial indictments during acting attorney general tenure
- American Oversight — Court allowed DOJ to conceal Blanche records before confirmation hearing
- The New York Times — Blanche unique in seeking confirmation for job he already holds
- Politico — Blanche would be first acting AG in modern history who was president’s personal criminal defense lawyer
