What to know about Todd Blanche, Trump's new acting attorney general
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
President Trump and U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche at the White House last year. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Todd Blanche has been appointed as acting attorney general after President Trump announced Thursday that Attorney General Pam Bondi is leaving the Department of Justice.
The big picture: An administration official told Axios that Blanche is among those Trump is considering nominating as Bondi's replacement, and the president praised his former defense attorney on Truth Social as "a very talented and respected Legal Mind."
- Blanche, a 51-year-old Denver-born former federal prosecutor, thanked Trump in a post to X "for the trust and the opportunity to serve" as acting attorney general.
Here's what to know about Blanche:
DOJ at "war" with judges
Blanche, who also serves as acting Librarian of Congress, has made headlines for railing against judges since Trump appointed him deputy attorney general after winning the 2024 presidential election.
Context: After federal district judges blocked several of Trump's sweeping policy goals with injunctions and restraining orders, Blanche spoke about being in a "war" with "rogue activist judges" and encouraged young lawyers to join the administration and fight against them.
Epstein files review
Blanche became a public face of the DOJ review into the release of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's files after Bondi faced scathing criticism over her handling of the case involving the disgraced financier.
- It was Blanche who announced the release of the final trove of files in January, declaring in an ABC interview: "This review is over."
What we're watching: Blanche has left open the possibility of prosecuting suspects in the case.
- "If we have evidence that allows us to prosecute them, you better believe we will," he told Fox News in February. "But it's also the kind of thing that the American people need to understand that it isn't a crime to party with Mr. Epstein."
Trump's defense lawyer
Blanche has defended Trump in a range of cases, including several criminal prosecutions in which the president pleaded not guilty, but were dropped after he won the 2024 election.
- In addition to representing Trump in the high-profile classified documents and election interference federal cases, Blanche was the lead attorney in his hush money criminal trial, which led to the president's conviction on New York state charges.
Of note: Blanche was a registered Democrat before becoming Trump's lawyer. He later changed his party affiliation to Republican.
Legal background before Trump
Blanche spent eight years working at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York as a federal prosecutor before going into private practice.
- He has a law degree from Brooklyn Law School.
Go deeper: Lawmakers vow to force Pam Bondi to testify despite ouster
