President Trump indicated he intends to make Todd Blanche the permanent attorney general, signaling confidence in the acting chief law enforcement officer despite the recent collapse of a controversial compensation scheme.
In a Wednesday podcast interview, Trump said of Blanche, "I think he will," when asked whether the acting attorney general would assume the role permanently. Trump praised Blanche as "a very talented guy" who is "doing a very good job" at the Department of Justice.
Blanche assumed the acting position in April after Trump removed Pam Bondi from the role. Since taking the helm, he has overseen a series of high-profile actions at the justice department, including criminal charges against former FBI director James Comey and an intensified investigation into ex-CIA director John Brennan. The department has also scrubbed press releases documenting prosecutions of Capitol riot participants from January 6.
The acting attorney general's tenure has been marked by controversy. Blanche played a central role in developing a $1.8 billion secretive fund designed to provide payments to Trump allies and Capitol riot defendants. The plan drew fierce backlash from Senate Republicans, legal challenges, and widespread public condemnation as a potential slush fund. On Tuesday, Blanche abruptly abandoned the initiative.
Despite the fund's collapse, Trump mounted a defense of the proposal during his podcast remarks. He characterized the intended beneficiaries as individuals who had been "decimated" by government action, and he referenced his recent pardons of Capitol riot participants as justified compensation for what he termed "a crooked government."
Blanche has maintained that the federal government continues to honor an agreement preventing the Internal Revenue Service from auditing Trump, his family, and affiliated entities. He made that statement during a House appropriations committee hearing.
Author James Rodriguez: "Blanche's rapid pivot from the compensation fund suggests the pressure was too intense even for Trump's inner circle, but Trump's backing indicates the permanent job is still within reach."
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