Law & Justice
Todd Blanche sworn in as US attorney general
Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, was sworn in as US attorney general on Monday after the Senate confirmed him in a 50-49 vote.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted video on X of the swearing-in ceremony, which was held in the Oval Office with Trump in attendance.
Blanche, 52, had been serving as acting attorney general since Trump fired Pam Bondi in April. He becomes the top US law enforcement officer after a confirmation fight in which Senate Democrats accused Trump of politicising the Justice Department.
Republican lawmakers confirmed Blanche after internal party concerns over two disputed issues: a proposed $1.8 billion fund for what Trump calls victims of political prosecutions, and an agreement granting tax audit immunity to Trump. Blanche issued a written order scrapping the so-called anti-weaponisation fund and said the audit immunity agreement involving Trump, his two eldest sons and the Trump Organization would apply only retroactively to past tax years, not future filings.
Blanche represented Trump before joining the Justice Department, including in the New York trial over alleged hush money paid to Stormy Daniels. He was also on Trump's legal defence team in two federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith, involving alleged mishandling of classified documents and alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Both federal cases were dropped after Trump won the 2024 election.
Blanche has also faced criticism from victims of Jeffrey Epstein over the handling of the release of investigative files about the convicted sex offender.
Update
Todd Blanche was sworn in as US attorney general on Monday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted video of the Oval Office ceremony, with President Donald Trump in attendance.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 19:04:09 UTC.
Update
Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined Democrats in voting against Todd Blanche's confirmation.
Blanche wrote on X that he was deeply honored and thanked the Senate and Justice Department staff.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 August 2026 at 09:18:19 UTC.
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The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche by 50 votes to 49.
AFP reported the confirmation on Saturday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 August 2026 at 08:37:59 UTC.
Update
The US Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 August 2026 at 08:33:18 UTC.
Update
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said he would vote for Todd Blanche's nomination.
Cassidy's support means Blanche was described as all but certain to win confirmation in a full Senate vote by the narrowest of margins.
Cassidy said he agreed Blanche had shown “poor judgement” but would nevertheless support the nomination.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 August 2026 at 15:00:42 UTC.
Update
Vice President JD Vance said after the committee vote that Todd Blanche would serve the American people and the Trump administration loyally and would make a great attorney general.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 18:35:13 UTC.
Update
The Senate Judiciary Committee vote was 12-10 along party lines.
Senator Dick Durbin said before the vote that Blanche had no business serving as the nation's chief law enforcement officer.
Federal judges have blocked the fund and condemned the tax settlement, according to the supplied material.
US press reports said the tax settlement could help Trump avoid past liabilities of up to $100 million.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 15:46:33 UTC.
Update
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Todd Blanche's nomination to be US attorney general.
The committee vote was along party lines.
The nomination now goes to the full Senate for consideration later this week.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 15:08:13 UTC.
Source
AFP news report published on .