Todd Blanche Takes Oath as Attorney General After Narrow Senate Vote

Todd Blanche was officially sworn in as Attorney General on Monday at the White House, with the oath administered by Emil Bove, a former Trump attorney who now serves as a federal appeals court judge. The ceremony followed a tense Senate confirmation vote on Saturday that ended 50-49, with two Republicans joining Democrats in opposition over concerns about the department's growing politicization.

Blanche, a former federal prosecutor in New York, had been running the Justice Department in an acting capacity since Pam Bondi's dismissal in April. His confirmation nearly collapsed over bipartisan objections to a controversial settlement involving the IRS and a proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund for Trump allies. The nomination advanced only after Blanche provided written assurances that the fund plan was being scrapped.

During his tenure as deputy and acting attorney general, Blanche has overseen investigations into several Trump critics, including the second indictment of former FBI Director James Comey in April. He has repeatedly rejected accusations of weaponization, maintaining that the president's interest in department matters is both a right and a duty, and insisting he feels no pressure to accommodate the White House.

Blanche first entered Trump's orbit in 2023 when he left private practice to defend the president against multiple criminal cases, including two brought by the Justice Department under the previous administration. He has cited that experience as firsthand evidence of what he calls the weaponization of the justice system against Trump.

Supporters argue that Blanche's close relationship with Trump could make him more effective than his predecessor at pushing back on presidential demands. He now takes charge of an agency significantly weakened by resignations, firings, and voluntary departures, while also facing growing resistance from federal courts over the administration's actions.