Trump says he will nominate Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- President Donald Trump announced his intention to formally nominate Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer and current acting head of the Justice Department, as the permanent attorney general.
- Blanche has aggressively pursued investigations into Trump’s political opponents and proposed a controversial $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" to compensate allies for alleged political persecution, which was later scrapped amid bipartisan backlash.
- Critics, including Democrats and some Republicans, accuse Blanche of politicizing the Justice Department and acting as Trump's personal lawyer, while Blanche denies these claims and says he aims to correct past abuses by the Biden administration.
- Blanche has overseen high-profile actions such as the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey and appointed Joseph diGenova to investigate alleged conspiracies against Trump by former law enforcement and intelligence officials.
- A former federal prosecutor, Blanche gained prominence through his role on Trump’s defense team and has expressed concerns about the criminal justice system being weaponized against the former president.