President Donald Trump on Monday formally nominated Todd Blanche as attorney general, elevating his former personal lawyer to lead the Justice Department on a permanent basis and setting up a Senate confirmation battle that will test whether increasingly restive Republican senators are prepared to defy Trump on a high-profile nominee.
Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general since April 2026 after Trump dismissed former Attorney General Pam Bondi, was previously confirmed as deputy attorney general in March 2025 by a 52-46 party-line vote. His nomination to the top law enforcement post now heads to the Senate, where his path to confirmation remains uncertain despite Republicans’ narrow chamber majority.
The Trump administration and top Senate Republicans are aiming to confirm Blanche by the end of summer, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans. The Senate Judiciary Committee can only schedule his confirmation hearing 28 days after he submits required paperwork, with the earliest hearing date likely in mid-July. A floor vote could follow before the Senate leaves for August recess.
But Blanche faces significant headwinds from within his own party. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a key member of the Judiciary Committee, has vowed to oppose any nominee who has underplayed or dismissed the seriousness of the January 6 Capitol attack. Senator John Cornyn of Texas, another Judiciary Republican, is seeking commitments from Blanche on how he will balance serving as attorney general while being a member of the president’s Cabinet.
“Being AG is a unique job because you’re not the president’s lawyer. You’re the chief legal officer for the United States,” Cornyn said. “But you’re also a member of the president’s Cabinet, which means you can be fired any time. It’s really maybe the hardest balancing act in the Cabinet.”
Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana expressed similar concerns, telling reporters: “I have to be convinced that Todd is not the president’s personal attorney who happens to be attorney general, but that Todd is the attorney general who used to be the president’s personal attorney.” These worries reflect a broader Republican anxiety about Blanche’s close ties to Trump and whether he can maintain the independence the position demands.
Blanche’s nomination is also complicated by his role in defending Trump’s controversial “anti-weaponization fund,” a $1.8 billion compensation program for people Trump claims were unfairly prosecuted. Multiple Senate Republicans have criticized the fund, with Tillis calling it a “payout pot” for what he characterized as political enemies. Some Republicans have signaled they may use Blanche’s nomination as leverage to press the administration on the fund’s future.
On the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Democrats are expected to oppose Blanche unanimously, just one Republican defection would be enough to block his nomination. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley of Iowa said he would go “by what we had when he was deputy,” referring to Blanche’s previous party-line confirmation. But Grassley also acknowledged that “a lot has changed” since March 2025.
If Blanche cannot secure Senate confirmation, he could potentially remain as acting attorney general indefinitely under a legal precedent the Biden administration previously used, according to multiple sources. This fallback option may explain why the administration is pushing hard for a summer confirmation vote rather than risking a protracted fight.
Sources
- The Washington Post — Trump’s decision to nominate Blanche as attorney general and the confirmation battle ahead with Republican senators
- Punchbowl News — Senate Republicans’ timeline to confirm Blanche by end of summer, Tillis and Cornyn concerns, and Cassidy’s statement on independence
- CNN — Formal nomination of Blanche on Monday, June 8, 2026
- The New York Times — Trump’s nomination of Blanche and confirmation fight setup
- Congress.gov — Blanche’s previous confirmation as deputy attorney general on March 5, 2025, by 52-46 vote
- Roll Call — Blanche’s previous 52-46 confirmation as deputy AG and current confirmation challenges
- Al Jazeera — Republican critics in the Senate and confirmation uncertainty
