TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - US President Donald Trump announced that he will nominate Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to serve permanently as the country's top law enforcement official, formalizing a move that had been widely expected since Blanche assumed the role earlier this year.
Trump revealed the decision during a private event at the White House on Wednesday, June 3, saying he would instruct officials to begin the nomination process immediately.
"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," Trump said in remarks shared on social media by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino.
CNN reported that Blanche has served as acting attorney general since April after Trump dismissed former Attorney General Pam Bondi. Prior to that, he served as deputy attorney general and was also one of Trump's personal defense attorneys.
The nomination would require confirmation by the US Senate. Blanche was previously confirmed as deputy attorney general in a 52-46 party-line vote.
White House officials have signaled strong support for Blanche's leadership at the Department of Justice. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson described him as "an American patriot" and praised his work defending Trump during what she called a politically motivated legal campaign against the president.
According to CBS News, Trump had already hinted at Blanche's promotion earlier this week, telling reporters he believed Blanche would ultimately become the permanent attorney general and that he was not considering other candidates for the position.
"We put him as acting, and he's done a very good job," Trump said.
Blanche's expected nomination comes after several months overseeing some of the Justice Department's most controversial actions since Trump's return to the White House.
Among the department's most closely watched decisions was a proposed US$1.776 billion "anti-weaponization fund" designed to compensate individuals who claimed they had been unfairly targeted by government investigations. The proposal emerged from a settlement involving the Internal Revenue Service, Trump, his adult sons, and the Trump Organization.
The plan faced strong opposition from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, with some lawmakers expressing concern that individuals convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot could potentially receive compensation.
Following weeks of criticism, Blanche announced earlier this week that the Justice Department would abandon the initiative. He told lawmakers the department was "not moving forward" with the fund after a court temporarily blocked its implementation.
Blanche has also drawn attention for other high-profile actions, including the announcement of charges against former FBI Director James Comey. Prosecutors accused Comey of threatening the president through a social media post featuring seashells arranged to form the numbers "86 47," a case that generated significant political debate.
Critics have argued that several of Blanche's actions reflect Trump's political priorities rather than the traditional independence of the Justice Department. Blanche has rejected those accusations, maintaining that legal decisions have been driven by career prosecutors and investigators.
Despite the controversy, Blanche has consistently expressed loyalty to Trump and enthusiasm for serving in the administration. Shortly after becoming acting attorney general, he described the appointment as "the greatest honor of a lifetime."
"If he chooses to nominate somebody else and asks me to go do something else, I will say: 'Thank you very much, I love you, sir,'" Blanche said at the time.
His nomination is expected to set up another closely watched confirmation battle in the Senate, where lawmakers are likely to scrutinize both his close relationship with Trump and his management of the Justice Department during a period of intense political and legal disputes.
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