Todd Blanche, former personal lawyer to US President Donald Trump, was sworn in on Monday, August 10, 2026, as the United States Attorney General following a contentious confirmation process that revealed bipartisan apprehensions about the Justice Department's future under the Republican administration.

The oath of office was administered by Emil Bove, a federal appeals court judge and another former Trump lawyer, at the White House shortly after the Senate confirmed Blanche in an extremely close 50-49 vote on Saturday, August 8, 2026. Two Republicans opposed his confirmation, citing worries about increasing politicization within the Justice Department during Trump's tenure.

Blanche, who previously served as a federal prosecutor in New York, had been acting attorney general since April after the dismissal of Pam Bondi. Upon his swearing-in, he was greeted with cheers from Justice Department employees at the department's headquarters.

Now officially in command, Blanche faces the challenge of managing an agency weakened by resignations, firings, and voluntary departures, while also addressing judicial pushback. He must navigate the demands of a president openly intent on using the Justice Department to target political adversaries.

Sources