Todd Blanche sworn in as US Attorney General; Trump heads ceremony

Todd Blanche, a former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump and ex-Deputy Secretary of the Department of Justice, was sworn in as the new US Attorney General on Monday.

The private ceremony occurred in the Oval Office of the White House, with President Trump present. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt congratulated Blanche, calling him "a great lawyer and an even better person" in a post on X, accompanied by a video of the official appointment. Several members of Trump's team, including Vice President JD Vance, were also in attendance.

Blanche, who served as interim Attorney General after Pam Bondi's dismissal in April, previously led Washington's delegation to the inauguration of Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, described as a Trump ally. Born in Denver, Colorado, in 1974, Blanche built his career as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York before becoming a defense attorney in high-profile cases.

He represented Trump in the New York trial concerning irregular payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election campaign. Blanche was also part of Trump's legal team for federal cases involving the handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. As second-in-command at the Department of Justice, he was involved in declassifying thousands of files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Earlier this year, Blanche announced the creation of a $1.8 billion fund to compensate individuals allegedly subjected to unjust judicial persecution during the Joe Biden administration, including those involved in the January 6 Capitol attack. This initiative became a significant hurdle for his nomination, with Republicans John Cornyn and Thom Tillis blocking his appointment until the fund was rescinded. Democrats largely voted against him, accusing him of undermining the independence of the Department of Justice and placing it at the service of Trump's interests.