Trump announces plan to appoint former personal attorney as permanent head of Justice Department

On June 3, 2026, US President Donald Trump made a statement to the press in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, regarding his intentions for the position of attorney general.

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This announcement came as Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal lawyer, is currently serving as the acting chief of the Justice Department, a role he assumed after Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi.

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Blanche's tenure has been marked by his pursuit of indictments against individuals perceived as enemies of Trump, including former FBI director James Comey, as the second-in-command at the Justice Department.

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Trump revealed his plan to formally nominate Blanche as the permanent attorney general during a White House dinner, with the announcement set to be made on Thursday, as shown in footage shared by a White House official on social media.

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In the clip shared by Dan Scavino, Trump's deputy chief of staff, the President stated, “Tomorrow, I’m instructing… that we are going to make him permanent attorney general,” in reference to Blanche's nomination.

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Under Blanche's leadership, the Justice Department has attempted to establish a $1.8 billion compensation fund, a plan that has been met with criticism and denounced as a “slush fund” for Trump's political allies.

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The proposed fund was part of a settlement in a lawsuit filed by Trump against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which included an addendum that would prevent the agency from investigating Trump for back tax claims.

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Todd Blanche informed Congress on Tuesday that the compensation fund would not be moving forward, but the protection from IRS investigations for Trump would remain in place.