Todd Blanche, who for years was President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, was sworn in this Monday as the new attorney general during a private ceremony held in the Oval Office of the White House, with the president present.

The oath was administered by Emil Bove, a former member of Trump's legal team and currently a federal appeals court judge. The ceremony occurred after the Senate narrowly confirmed Blanche, in a vote that highlighted the deep divisions that exist over the direction of the Justice Department.

“Congratulations to a great lawyer and an even better person!” wrote White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in X, where she released a short video of the official event. Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other members of the Administration also appear in the images.

Born in Denver, Colorado, in 1974, Blanche has experience as both a federal prosecutor and a defense attorney. Before joining Trump's legal circle, he worked as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York and subsequently participated in several high-profile cases.

Blanche went from defending Trump to running the Justice Department

Blanche's relationship with Trump strengthened when she left her private office in 2023 to take on the defense of the then-former president in various criminal proceedings. Among the matters he led was the case related to payments to actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. He was also part of the team that defended Trump in federal investigations related to the handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

After joining the Justice Department as deputy secretary, Blanche took over as acting attorney general following the departure of Pam Bondi in April. During that period he oversaw investigations involving some of Trump's top adversaries, including former FBI Director James Comey.

His final arrival in office occurs at a particularly complex time for the Department of Justice, which has suffered resignations, dismissals and criticism due to alleged political pressure. Trump has openly expressed his intention to use federal institutions to pursue what he sees as abuses committed against him and his allies.

Blanche has rejected accusations that the Justice Department is being used as a political weapon and has said he does not feel obligated to please the president.

Confirmation was marked by a controversial fund of $1.8 billion

The Senate approved his appointment with 50 votes in favor and 49 against. Two Republicans joined Democrats in opposing it, largely due to their concerns about the increasing politicization of the Justice Department during the Trump Administration.

One of the main obstacles to his confirmation was a plan promoted by the government to create a fund of approximately $1.8 billion to compensate people who, according to Trump and his allies, were victims of unfair judicial persecution during the Joe Biden Administration. The proposal generated resistance even within Republican ranks. Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis initially blocked the nomination from moving forward until they obtained assurances that the project would be canceled.

Blanche eventually confirmed in writing that the government would backtrack on the plan, allowing her nomination to move forward. Now, as attorney general, Blanche must manage an agency weakened by the recent departures of officials and subject to increasing judicial and political pressure.

The new head of the Justice Department will also face the challenge of demonstrating that he can separate his close personal relationship with Trump from the institutional responsibilities of running the main federal agency in charge of enforcing the country's laws.

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