Todd Blanche Sworn In—These Key Trump Loyalty Tests Await New Attorney General

Key Facts

Surprising Fact

Blanche’s swearing-in Monday took spot down closed doors astatine the White House, contempt akin events antecedently being unfastened to the press. In the absence of existent property footage, Leavitt shared a video of the lawyer wide taking his oath of agency wrong the Oval Office arsenic Trump and different White House officials looked on.

What Has Blanche Said About Trump?

When asked during his confirmation hearing astir whether he was independent from Trump—based connected the DOJ’s historical independency from the White House—Blanche responded by saying the DOJ “certainly operate[s] pinch integrity” and exists to “serve the American group and do the correct thing.” The then-nominee past added, however, that if confirmed, “I will beryllium a personnel of the Cabinet … and President Trump tin occurrence maine whenever he wants.” Blanche suggested he was unafraid to push backmost connected Trump if needed, saying, “President Trump trusts maine to springiness him counsel,” but “counsel does not mean I’m a yes man.” He raised eyebrows for an evident gaffe during his testimony, erstwhile Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asked if he was friends pinch Trump. Blanche first responded, “I americium his lawyer” earlier quickly correcting himself to opportunity he “was his lawyer.”

Big Number

$9.8 million. That’s really overmuch Trump, done his Save America PAC, has paid Blanche’s rule patient successful ineligible fees, according to national records. The PAC made payments from April 2023 done February 2025, erstwhile Blanche Law was paid $543,711 soon aft Trump’s inauguration. Trump’s Save America PAC has been utilized to salary the president’s lawyers for their activity successful his individual ineligible battles, and that $9.8 cardinal would person gone to different attorneys and unit astatine Blanche’s patient successful summation to him.

Epstein Files: Blanche Faces Thursday Hearing Over Redacted Documents

As lawman lawyer wide and acting lawyer general, Blanche has agelong faced disapproval for his handling of the Epstein files. Bondi has testified Blanche was responsible for really the documents were released to the public—a process that’s garnered wide criticism, fixed issues pinch unfortunate identities not being decently redacted—and Epstein’s victims person accused Blanche of not sufficiently listening to their concerns. Blanche is group to look successful tribunal Thursday for a proceeding complete whether the DOJ must merchandise immoderate unredacted Epstein documents, arsenic good arsenic further documents covering unsubstantiated allegations against Trump. The DOJ has truthful acold fought the documents’ release, though it did move complete materials to beryllium privately reviewed by the court. Judge Emmet G. Sullivan scheduled a proceeding to talk respective issues pinch the arguments that the DOJ has made successful court, pinch the judge noting Blanche didn’t supply due archiving showing the redactions astatine rumor hide victims’ names, hasn’t explained why the authorities can’t redact handwritten notes, and hasn’t yet followed the Epstein Files Transparency Act’s proviso requiring the DOJ to taxable a log justifying each azygous redaction. Blanche’s posture during the Thursday proceeding could beryllium telling, arsenic the AG could proceed to harshly conflict the documents’ disclosure, aliases could beryllium much amenable to turning immoderate materials over, moreover erstwhile they woody straight pinch the president.

Trump’s IRS Deal: Will $1.8 Billion Fund Come Back?

The main rumor that concisely threatened Blanche’s confirmation was his signing and consequent defense of Trump’s colony of a suit against the IRS, which included a $1.776 cardinal “anti-weaponization fund” to compensate governmental friends and an statement that broadly shielded the president and his affiliates from ineligible action from the government. Blanche has said the $1.8 cardinal money is “dead” aft moreover GOP lawmakers slammed it, and issued an bid saying the money was not moving guardant successful consequence to concerns from Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., up of his committee confirmation vote. He besides issued a written connection narrowing the scope of the immunity woody to specify it only shields Trump, his eldest sons and the Trump Organization from ineligible action by the IRS and Treasury Department based connected actions they’ve already taken and taxation returns that person already been filed. Blanche’s orders aren’t legally binding nether the position of the settlement, though—as it tin only beryllium modified pinch the written statement of each the parties, which didn’t happen—and Democrats person expressed fears Blanche could simply rumor a caller bid and bring backmost the anti-weaponization money aft being sworn in. It remains to beryllium seen really Blanche will grip the rumor arsenic AG, and whether payouts to governmental allies, including Jan. 6 rioters, could still return place—whether by reviving this money aliases creating a caller one.

DOJ Goes After Trump’s Enemies

The DOJ has launched galore investigations into Trump’s governmental enemies and brought indictments against several, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, erstwhile FBI Director James Comey and erstwhile Trump advisor John Bolton. Trump fired Bondi aft publically suggesting he was unhappy pinch her for not going acold capable to punish his critics, however, and it’s apt he’ll now beryllium exerting unit connected Blanche to prosecute group who transverse him. The DOJ is presently prosecuting Comey—after first charges against him and James were dismissed—and reportedly is carrying retired investigations against specified Trump critics arsenic Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., erstwhile CIA head John Brennan, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Blanche will look reliable decisions complete whether to property guardant pinch charging notable enemies of the president, pinch erstwhile sets of charges often facing criticism from ineligible experts for being based connected flimsy ineligible arguments.

Could Blanche Help Trump-Friendly Businesses?

The DOJ besides has a domiciled to play erstwhile it comes to perchance going after—or helping—businesses that person ties to the president, his family aliases his governmental allies. The president and his family are linked to galore businesses that could perchance beryllium granted reprieves from the national government, though truthful acold that has not been an issue. There have, however, already been respective instances of Trump-friendly companies having cases against them dropped during the president’s 2nd term. SpaceX, led by onetime Trump advisor Elon Musk, sewage retired of a discrimination lawsuit that the DOJ dropped successful February 2025, while criminal probes against Boeing and Abbott Laboratories ended aft those companies made hefty donations to Trump’s inaugural fund. (The authorities has ne'er alleged the moves to driblet those cases were astatine each connected to the donations and Musk’s engagement pinch Trump.) As lawyer general, Blanche could look unit from the president to spell easier connected companies that are linked to him aliases person helped him retired financially.

Trump’s D.C. Priorities: White House Ballroom And Reflecting Pool

As lawyer general, Blanche will person to navigate Trump’s aggravated attraction connected building projects successful Washington and the litigation that has ensued, including Trump’s allegations of vandalism astatine the Reflecting Pool and an ongoing conflict complete the building of a caller White House ballroom. His swearing-in comes correct aft Trump publicly fumed complete U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropping national charges against David Hearn for allegedly vandalizing the Reflecting Pool, telling reporters she “made a mistake” and “folded for illustration an umbrella.” The erstwhile Olympian was initially indicted for allegedly damaging the h2o feature, but Pirro unexpectedly reversed her decision, saying it was clear that the issues pinch the Reflecting Pool were alternatively the consequence of a “botched installation.” A national appeals tribunal besides ruled past week to halt building connected the ballroom—though it won’t beryllium stopped immediately, arsenic the tribunal paused its ruling to springiness the Trump management clip to entreaty it. Blanche could now oversee a showdown astatine the Supreme Court complete Trump’s pet project, aft the president said the ruling blocking it was a “National Security threat to our Nation.” He will besides spot continued litigation complete Trump’s attempted takeover of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, wherever a tarp still covers the venue’s motion aft Trump’s sanction was ordered to beryllium removed from it.

DOJ’s Role In November Midterms

Blanche’s DOJ could play a cardinal domiciled successful the November midterm elections, arsenic the agency is tasked pinch defending Trump’s sweeping executive orders connected voting. Trump has agelong claimed there’s wide fraud successful elections—which grounds does not support—and his management has taken galore steps arsenic a result, including attempting to restrict mail-in voting, seeking states’ elector rolls and directing the U.S. Postal Service not to message immoderate absentee ballots if the elector isn’t connected a state-approved list. Many of those directives are now tied up successful court, wherever Blanche’s DOJ will person to take sides them up of the midterms. The DOJ could besides beryllium tasked pinch litigation aft the election, should Trump want to situation immoderate alleged issues that arise.

Further Reading

Trump Confirms He Didn’t Sign Order Killing $1.8 Billion Fund—Signaling It Might Be Revived (Forbes)

Senate Confirms Todd Blanche As Attorney General (Forbes)

Blanche Confirmed As Attorney General—Here Are The Concessions That Got Him The Job (Forbes)

Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Todd Blanche As AG After Initial Delay (Forbes)