Todd Blanche
Todd Blanche | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2025 | |
| Born |
Todd Wallace Blanche August 6, 1974 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Status | Nominee |
| Education | |
| Office | United States Attorney General |
| Political party | Republican (since 2024) |
| Spouse(s) | Kristine Blanche |
| Children | 2 |
| Template:Listen voice | |
| Signature | |
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Todd Blanche is an American lawyer, whose appointment as Attorney General stirred controversy.[1] President Donald Trump gave Blanche an interim appointment as Attorney General, in 2025.[2][3]
Under US law Cabinet Secretaries have to be confirmed by the Senate.[2][3] However, some Presidents detour around this provision through making interim appointments. Interim appointments are allowed, for a limited term, and, in July 2026 Senators held hearings over whether to permanently confirm Blanche.
Liz Oyer, a former official fired by Blanche, has asserted he follows the "Unitary Executive" theory -- that every initiative of a US President is automatically legal.[3]
After Blanche met with Jeffery Epstein's victims in July, 2026, they wrote to the Senators, calling the meeting "a box-checking exercise arranged only after his confirmation was put at risk."[4][5]
Blanche was Trump's personal lawyer in 2023 and 2024, prior to his second term.[6][7]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑
Nicole Wallace (2026-06-08). "Liz Oyer Won't Be Bullied by Anyone — Even Trump". Apple Podcast. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
In March of 2025, she was fired from her position as the US Pardon Attorney for refusing to reinstate actor Mel Gibson's gun rights. Since then, she's talked openly about her time in the DOJ and its unceremonious end and she's been targeted by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as a result.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1
Shrai Popat (2026-07-16). "Ex-DoJ lawyer fired by Todd Blanche urges senators to reject nomination". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 2026-07-16. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
Blanche said on Wednesday that Oyer’s recommendation last year did not lead to her termination. “The decisions that she had made as pardon attorney in the weeks and months leading up to the end of President Biden’s term were completely inconsistent with President Trump’s authority,” Blanche said.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Liz Oyer Testified at Todd Blanche's Hearing—Here's What You Didn't See". Katie Couric. 2026-07-16. Archived from the original on 2026-07-16. Retrieved 2026-07-19 – via YouTube.
- ↑
Michael Popok; Katie Phang (2026-07-22). "Blanche BLOWS IT as He INSULTS Judge, Survivors, & Katie Phang in 2 Page Contempt Filing!!!". Legal AF. Archived from the original on 2026-07-22. Retrieved 2026-07-22 – via YouTube.
Katie Phang joins Popok for exclusive briefing about her suit against Todd Blanche to get the Epstein Files released including about Trump, and the amateurish filing by his DOJ that found a way in just about 2 pages in total to insult the intelligence of the Judge, the Survivors, the American People and Katie!
- ↑
Peter Charalambous; Lauren Peller (2026-07-21). "Epstein survivors again urge senators not to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2026-07-22. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
In a letter to both senators, the group said that Blanche's recent meeting with Epstein victims was nothing more than 'a box-checking exercise arranged only after his confirmation was put at risk.'
- ↑
Andrew Rice (2024-04-22). "In Defense of Trump: Todd Blanche is a surprisingly competent lawyer. And he's on track to keep his client out of jail until the election". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on 2026-04-13. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
When Blanche, a former federal prosecutor, joined Donald Trump’s defense team about a year ago, it was widely assumed that the former president’s prospects were, both politically and legally, hopeless. Instead, Trump has survived — and, at least in the short term, benefited from — his legal struggles.
- ↑
Benjamin Weiser; William K. Rashbaum; Maggie Haberman (2023-04-03). "Trump, on Eve of Surrender, Adds Former U.S. Prosecutor to Defense Team". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-04-03. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
The lawyer, Todd Blanche, will work with Susan R. Necheles and Joseph Tacopina, who have been representing Mr. Trump in the investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office that led to an indictment that is expected to be unsealed on Tuesday when Mr. Trump is arraigned.