WASHINGTON — In a notable development, the Senate, led by the Republicans, confirmed Todd Blanche as the new deputy attorney general on Wednesday. Blanche, who previously served as a criminal defense attorney for former President Donald Trump, steps into this crucial role at the Department of Justice during a period of considerable unrest within the agency. The vote concluded with a tally of 52-46 in favor of his confirmation.
Blanche’s appointment under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi, another staunch Trump ally, repositions him as second in command. This transition occurs amid aggressive movements by the Trump administration to realign the justice department by displacing officials viewed as unsupportive of the former president’s ambitions.
During his confirmation proceedings, Blanche endeavored to alleviate Democratic concerns about potential political influences on his decisions. He pledged that the Justice Department under Trump’s administration would strive to restore faith in the justice system and rectify what he termed partisan legal attacks targeting the former president.
Blanche boasts experience as a federal prosecutor, having played a significant role in Trump’s defense against separate criminal charges initiated by the Justice Department. He also actively participated in the New York legal proceedings concerning hush money, which resulted in a conviction of 34 felony counts.
Despite special counsel Jack Smith’s defense of cases implicating Trump in an alleged 2020 election conspiracy and illegal possession of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, these cases were retracted following Trump’s presidential victory in November. This decision aligns with a longstanding Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
In a related reshuffle, Emil Bove, also a former attorney defending Trump and who temporarily acted in the deputy attorney general capacity, is set to assume the role of principal associate deputy attorney general. During his interim tenure, Bove stirred the department with decisive measures including demanding the identification of numerous FBI agents tied to the investigation of the January 6th events, and orchestrating the dismissal of a corruption case involving New York Mayor Eric Adams.
