President Donald Trump formally nominated Todd Blanche as permanent Attorney General on June 8, 2026, setting the stage for what promises to be one of the most contentious confirmation fights of his second term. The nomination pits the White House against not just Senate Democrats, but potentially a handful of Republican dissenters who have questions about Blanche’s financial entanglements with the crypto industry he’s been tasked with policing.
Blanche has been serving as acting AG since April 2026, when Trump dismissed Pam Bondi from the role. Before that, he was confirmed as deputy AG in March 2025 by a razor-thin 52-46 vote.
The crypto problem
Blanche authored the April 7, 2025 memo titled “Ending Regulation By Prosecution,” which fundamentally rewired how the DOJ approaches crypto enforcement. That memo dismantled the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, a unit specifically built to go after bad actors in digital asset markets, and narrowed the DOJ’s focus on crypto-related cases.
Blanche disclosed crypto holdings valued between $159,000 and $485,000 at the time he was making these policy changes. His portfolio included Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.
