{"id":2610638,"date":"2026-06-04T13:02:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T17:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-could-keep-todd-blanche-atop-doj-even-if-senate-confirmation-stalls\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T13:03:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T17:03:16","slug":"trump-could-keep-todd-blanche-atop-doj-even-if-senate-confirmation-stalls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-could-keep-todd-blanche-atop-doj-even-if-senate-confirmation-stalls\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump could keep Todd Blanche atop DOJ even if Senate confirmation stalls"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-could-keep-todd-blanche-atop-doj-even-if-senate-confirmation-stalls%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2610638&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Deputy White House chief of staff Dan Scavino said acting Attorney General Todd Blanche\u2019s Senate confirmation is expected to happen quickly, signaling the governance\u2019s intent to seek permanent Senate approval for one of President Donald Trump\u2019s closest legal allies. the plan, Scavino said, is to nominate Blanche permanently after months leading the Justice Department.<\/p>\n<p>If Blanche\u2019s nomination becomes contentious or stalls, the article points to a precedent from the Biden era: former acting Labor Secretary Julie Su was able to continue serving in an acting role for nearly two years without having the votes for Senate confirmation. The Government Accountability Office concluded she could remain acting because her nomination was still pending under the relevant legal framework-something Republicans previously criticized as a way to work around the Senate\u2019s advice-and-consent role.<\/p>\n<p>Blanche\u2019s confirmation faces resistance from Democrats, including concerns tied to fallout over a proposed $1.8 billion \u201canti-weaponization fund\u201d for victims of past government abuses. Although Blanche told lawmakers the DOJ no longer plans to pursue the fund, democrats say his assurances haven\u2019t been put in writing.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Blanche has a key advantage going into the process: the Senate already confirmed him once as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/attorney-lin-wood-defends-ag-bill-barr-after-announces-he-is-stepping-down-trump-voters-respond\/\" title=\"Attorney Lin Wood Defends AG Bill Barr After Announces He Is Stepping Down \u2014 Trump Voters Respond\">deputy attorney general<\/a> in march 2025. Still, some Republicans are signaling they want answers before committing-especially related to how Blanche handled issues connected to the Jan.6,2021 Capitol riot.<\/p>\n<p>Legal experts quoted in the piece argue Blanche can likely continue serving as acting attorney general even while the nomination is pending, relying on statutes that allow this for acting ags and noting his prior Senate confirmation as deputy attorney general may also strengthen his eligibility.<\/p>\n<p>The article concludes that while a standard confirmation battle appears likely, Republicans could end up using the same procedural playbook they once attacked if Blanche\u2019s path to final approval narrows.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deputy <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a> chief of staff Dan Scavino predicted Wednesday that acting Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/todd-blanche\/\">Todd Blanche<\/a>\u2019s Senate confirmation would move \u201cvery quickly,\u201d offering the clearest indication yet that the administration intends to seek <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/senate\/\">Senate<\/a> approval for one of President Donald Trump\u2019s closest legal allies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scavino announced Wednesday that the president plans to nominate Blanche to serve as attorney general permanently after months leading the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Justice Department<\/a> in an acting capacity following the firing of former Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pam-bondi\/\">Pam Bondi<\/a> in April. But if Blanche encounters trouble on Capitol Hill, a little-known <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/biden-administration\/\">Biden administration<\/a> precedent could provide the White House with another option.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4594886\/john-bolton-plea-deal-classified-documents-case\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>John Bolton reaches plea deal in classified documents case: Report<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4594412\/trump-nomination-todd-blanche-attorney-general\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump expected to nominate Todd Blanche as attorney general<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4593950\/trump-anti-weaponization-fund-future\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump says he doesn\u2019t know whether $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund is dead or paused<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche arrives at a House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. (Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That option centers on former acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, who remained atop the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-labor\/page\/32\/\">Labor Department<\/a> for nearly two years despite lacking the votes for Senate confirmation. Because Su\u2019s nomination remained pending before the Senate, the Government Accountability Office concluded she could continue serving in an acting capacity beyond the normal deadlines laid out by the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans blasted the arrangement at the time as an end run around the Senate\u2019s advice-and-consent role. Now, the same precedent could benefit Trump if Blanche\u2019s nomination becomes politically difficult or never reaches a final vote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The nomination already faces stiff opposition from Democrats amid the recent fallout and condemnation of last month\u2019s proposed \u201canti-weaponization fund\u201d for victims of past government abuses, a $1.8 billion proposal that stemmed from Trump\u2019s settlement with the IRS over the leak of his tax returns, which he sued over prior to becoming president again. Blanche told lawmakers the DOJ <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4592077\/blanche-weaponization-fund-dead-for-good\/\">no longer plans to move forward<\/a> with the fund, but Democrats have maintained skepticism after he refused to put his promise in writing this week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, Blanche enters the confirmation process with one significant advantage: he has already been confirmed by the Senate once. Senators approved him as deputy attorney general on March 5, 2025, by a 52-46 vote, with no Republicans opposed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite Blanche\u2019s prior Senate confirmation as deputy attorney general, some Republicans are already signaling they want answers before committing to support his promotion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-cornyn\/\">John Cornyn<\/a> (R-TX), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told <em>Punchbowl News<\/em> he has not yet decided whether he will back Blanche. Cornyn\u2019s time in the Senate will end in January 2027 after he lost last month in the Texas Senate primary to Trump-backed state Attorney General Ken Paxton.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe problem with the office of attorney general is that there\u2019s basically, well, you are a member of the president\u2019s Cabinet,\u201d Cornyn said. \u201cBut you\u2019re also the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >chief law enforcement officer<\/a> for the country. And you\u2019re not the president\u2019s lawyer. So I\u2019ll be asking some questions about getting commitments on that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/thom-tillis\/\">Thom Tillis<\/a> (R-NC) struck a more favorable tone in comments to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> this week, crediting Blanche with helping defuse tensions surrounding President Donald Trump\u2019s criticism of former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTodd was instrumental in kind of de-escalating the whole Powell matter,\u201d Tillis said, referring to the DOJ\u2019s prior inquiry into Powell earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Tillis reiterated that his concerns about Blanche\u2019s views on the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot remain a \u201ccircuit breaker\u201d for any nominee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOutside of that, I mean, he\u2019s got good credentials \u2014 people are going to hammer him because he was the president\u2019s personal attorney, but I\u2019m just more about getting through the J6 stuff,\u201d Tillis said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a gray area for me. Either he equivocated and said harming these Capitol police officers was an OK thing, or he didn\u2019t, and we\u2019ll find that in the due diligence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even as the nomination moves forward, Blanche can continue serving as acting attorney general while awaiting Senate action.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn most cases, the Vacancies Act does not permit someone to serve as both an acting officer and a nominee for the same position at the same time,\u201d Thomas Berry, director of the Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute, wrote in a post on X. \u201cBut Blanche can continue to serve as acting AG while he is the nominee for the position because he is serving under a separate statute, specific to acting AGs, that has no such limitation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Berry added that Blanche would likely qualify even under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act because he was previously confirmed by the Senate as deputy attorney general.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4594412\/trump-nomination-todd-blanche-attorney-general\/\">TRUMP EXPECTED TO NOMINATE TODD BLANCHE AS ATTORNEY GENERAL<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Blanche has previously taken an expansive view of presidential authority over Justice Department appointments that, so far, has caused friction with the federal judiciary. After a court-appointed U.S. attorney in New York was removed earlier this year, Blanche wrote on X, \u201cJudges don\u2019t pick U.S. Attorneys, @POTUS does. See Article II of our Constitution. You are fired, Donald Kinsella.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, all indications point to a traditional confirmation fight. But if Blanche\u2019s path narrows, Republicans may find themselves relying on the same procedural playbook they once criticized Democrats for using with Su.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>David Sivak contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino said Todd Blanche\u2019s Senate OK would \u201cmove very quickly\u201d and signal the White House seeks approval for Trump\u2019s key legal ally<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2610639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP25178580793637.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[7076,80832,39855,51594,3634],"class_list":["post-2610638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-doj","tag-legal-appointments","tag-senate-confirmation","tag-todd-blanche","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP25178580793637.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2610638"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610638\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2610642,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610638\/revisions\/2610642"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2610639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2610638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2610638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2610638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}