NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that he plans to nominate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to permanently lead the Department of Justice.
In a video posted to social media by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, Trump can be seen announcing that he will nominate Blanche for the position after he assumed the role on an interim basis following former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s firing in early April.
“Tomorrow I’m instructing Dan [Scavino] 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,” Trump said in the video, which was recorded during a Rose Garden Club Dinner on Wednesday evening at the White House.
ACTING AG TODD BLANCHE BELIEVES TRUMP ‘ABSOLUTELY’ FACED PRISON WITHOUT 2024 ELECTION WIN
President Trump announces plans to nominate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to permanently lead the Department of Justice after Pam Bondi’s firing. (Getty Images)
Trump’s comments came after he signaled during an interview on the Pod Force One podcast, released Wednesday, that Blanche was likely to receive the nomination.
When host Miranda Devine asked whether Blanche would become attorney general, Trump replied: “I think he will.”
Trump also said he was not actively considering other candidates and praised Blanche’s performance since taking over the role.
ACTING AG BLANCHE REVEALS FATE OF TRUMP’S ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND’ UNDER PRESSURE FROM HOUSE LAWMAKERS
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on May 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“I wanted to see how he’s received,” Trump said. “You know, we put him as acting, and he’s done a very good job, but I’ve known him a long time.”
CNN was first to report Wednesday evening that Trump was expected to move forward with nominating Blanche.
When reached for comment, the White House praised Blanche but stopped short of formally confirming the nomination.
SOUTH CAROLINA ASSISTED LIVING MANAGER FIRED AFTER MOCKING PAM BONDI’S CANCER DIAGNOSIS IN VIRAL VIDEO
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche arrives for news conference at the Justice Department, Monday, May 4, 2026, in Washington. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
“President Trump has a great relationship with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and is very pleased with the job he’s doing so far,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Todd Blanche is an American patriot who fearlessly fought against the Democrats’ unprecedented lawfare campaign on behalf of President Trump,” Jackson added. “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.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
If nominated, Blanche would need to be confirmed by the Senate.
He was confirmed as the Justice Department’s second-in-command in 2025 by a party-line vote of 52-46.
