Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche exits a meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., U.S., May 21, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is desperate to land the job permanently, and according to a new report from Politico, to do so, he has launched his "most audacious move yet" in a bid to cement the Justice Department as President Donald Trump's personal law firm.
Blanche, who previously served as Trump's personal attorney, was appointed as an acting replacement at the DOJ following the ouster of Pam Bondi in April. Since then, he has made several high-profile moves, which observers have chalked up to his attempts to curry favor with Trump and land the full-on AG job.
"When Todd Blanche announced charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center last month, critics accused him of placating President Donald Trump in an effort to secure the attorney general job permanently," Politico explained on Friday. "Blanche weathered similar criticism about a week later, when the Justice Department indicted longtime Trump foe James Comey a second time, accusing him of threatening the president’s life with an Instagram photo of seashells."
Now, Blanche and the DOJ have spearheaded a wildly controversial new settlement for Trump, closing out his suit against the IRS by establishing a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund, to be paid out to individuals who have supposedly been targeted by the government for their political beliefs. Despite that claim, it has been widely interpreted as a means for funneling money to Trump's allies and supporters. The settlement also contains the unprecedented provision that neither Trump nor his family can ever be audited by the IRS ever again.
In its Friday report, Politico summed up this settlement as Blanche's most blatant attempt yet at gaining Trump's favor, further citing comments from a lawmaker, who said that the move gave the president a "get-out-jail-free card" for tax fraud
"The second measure in particular struck many as Blanche’s most audacious move yet, designed not just to punish the president’s enemies or compensate his supporters, but to provide a personal, lasting benefit to Trump himself," Politico explained.
“Trump had his personal lawyer, who he installed atop the Justice Department, give him a get-out-of-jail-free card for past, present and future tax fraud,” Rep. Don Beyer wrote in a post to social media.
For now, all of these moves from Blanche appear to be having the intended effect, though there has yet to be any sign that the proper attorney general gig is his.
"At the White House, Blanche’s actions are winning raves," Politico revealed. "'He’s the guy everyone loves,' said a senior administration official, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly. Asked if anyone is poised to replace him, the official laughed and said 'no.'”
“He gets along with everyone, he pushes, he racks up wins," the source added. "He’s building out a record that people can point to, and building out a record that follows what the president laid out on the campaign trail.”