President Trump announced that he plans to elevate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to permanently lead the Justice Department.
In a video posted to social media on Wednesday by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, Mr. Trump said, “Tomorrow I’m instructing Dan and everybody else that’s involved in that very complicated process, which is gonna go, I think, very quickly, that we are going to make him permanent attorney general.”
In a recent interview with the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast, Mr. Trump said he was not considering other candidates and hailed Mr. Blanche’s performance atop the DOJ.
“You know, we put him as acting, and he’s done a very good job, but I’ve known him a long time,” the president said.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Washington Times in a statement that Mr. Blanche has “done an excellent job as acting attorney general and will continue doing so as attorney general.”
She added, “Todd Blanche is an American patriot who fearlessly fought on behalf of President Trump against the Democrats’ illegal and unprecedented lawfare campaign. The President’s entire team at the Department of Justice is doing a great job advocating for sanity, law and order, and policies that keep Americans safe.”
Mr. Blanche, who previously served as Mr. Trump’s personal defense attorney, had long been assumed to be the favorite for permanent attorney general after Pam Bondi’s firing in April.
While running the DOJ the past two months, he has impressed the White House by securing an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey and rolling back gun control measures. Mr. Blanche has also supported several initiatives that have bolstered the administration’s war on fraud.
Mr. Blanche still requires Senate confirmation. He was confirmed last year as deputy attorney general in a 52-46 vote along party lines.
It’s not certain that Mr. Blanche’s nomination could clear the Senate, as it would take only one Republican defector to block him in the Judiciary Committee or four on the floor.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said it’s “hard to say” whether Mr. Blanche will get enough support.
“Most of our members are pretty deferential to who the president wants in some of these key positions. He’s obviously serving in the role already and clearly has experience in it, so that’ll serve him well,” the South Dakota Republican said. “But this is an environment where nothing’s a safe or sure bet these days.”
Several GOP senators got into a heated spat with Mr. Blanche last month during a private meeting over the $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund the Justice Department announced as part of a settlement with Mr. Trump.
Mr. Blanche has said the department is no longer advancing the fund, but the president has equivocated on that in his public comments.
Sen. Thom Tillis, North Carolina Republican, is trying to codify the fund’s death, suggesting he would not support Mr. Blanche’s confirmation until that’s resolved.
“What we need to do right now is focus on the $1.776 fund, or he’s not going to have a very good time in the Judiciary Committee,” Mr. Tillis said. “Just think about what the Democrats would do to him.”
Mr. Tillis previously said he would not support any nominee who defends the people who rioted at the Capitol and assaulted police officers on Jan. 6, 2021.
Sen. John Cornyn, the Texas Republican who recently lost his primary, could also present an obstacle for Mr. Blanche advancing through committee since the president endorsed the senator’s opponent, Ken Paxton.
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