President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, faces a contested Senate confirmation process, with senators in both parties raising questions about his record at the Justice Department.
Trump formally nominated Blanche, a former personal lawyer to the president, on June 8, sending the nomination to the Senate. Blanche has served as acting attorney general since the April 2 firing of Pam Bondi. Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, acting officials are generally limited to 210 days; submitting a nominee can extend that period. Blanche was confirmed as deputy attorney general in March 2025 by a 52-46 vote, with Democrats opposed.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said he supports Blanche and intends to move the nomination quickly, calling him well-qualified and citing his support for law enforcement. Blanche needs a simple majority to be confirmed.
Several Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have not committed. Sen. Thom Tillis said his support could depend on Blanche's position on the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Sens. John Cornyn and John Kennedy have said they remain undecided, and Sen. Bill Cassidy has said he needs to be convinced Blanche would act independently of the president. Some Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have criticized Blanche's authorization of a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund created to compensate people the administration says were unfairly prosecuted during the Biden administration.
Democrats have lined up against the nomination. Sen. Adam Schiff cited Blanche's prior role as Trump's personal attorney, and Judiciary Committee ranking member Dick Durbin criticized the nomination in a statement. Democrats opposed his deputy attorney general confirmation last year.
Blanche has also drawn criticism over the Justice Department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. After Congress passed a law requiring their release, the department published more than 3 million pages. Some survivors and Democratic lawmakers said the release was incomplete and that redactions exposed survivors' personal information. In a statement, a group of 19 Epstein survivors opposed Blanche's nomination, citing reporting that senior officials, including Blanche, discussed the files' release in White House meetings; Blanche has said the department took steps to protect victims and corrects redaction errors when notified. Bondi was fired in April amid criticism of the department's handling of the files.
The Senate Judiciary Committee's review of the nomination is underway. A confirmation hearing is expected this summer.
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