US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday (local time) that he will replace Pam Bondi as US Attorney General with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch, Reuters reported.
Sharing the update in a social media post, Trump said Blanche, who previously served as his personal attorney, will take over the Department of Justice (DOJ) on an interim basis. He praised Bondi, describing her as “a great American patriot and loyal friend”.
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Why did Trump replace Pam Bondi?
The move comes amid growing frustration with Bondi’s performance, particularly over the handling of investigative files linked to Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender. According to a White House official, Trump was reportedly unhappy that Bondi did not act quickly enough to prosecute critics and opponents he believed should face criminal charges.
In a social media post, Trump also praised Bondi and said she would transition to a role in the private sector.
Here’s everything you need to know about Todd Blanche:
Blanche, who has represented Trump in numerous legal matters in the past, including his defense in this year’s criminal trial related to secret payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, was appointed by Trump in 2025.
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According to media reports, he previously worked at the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). After Trump’s election victory, the president praised Blanche in a statement, saying, “Todd is an outstanding lawyer who will be an essential leader at the Department of Justice and fix what has been a broken justice system for too long.”
According to reports, Blanche began his career at the Ministry of Justice, where he spent more than 15 years in various capacities. He first worked as a contractor before becoming a paralegal in the Criminal Division. He later joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where he served as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and eventually advanced to a supervisory role.
After leaving the ministry, Blanche went into private practice as a criminal defense attorney. During this period, he represented Trump in three criminal cases filed in 2023 and 2024.
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Upon Trump’s return to the White House, Blanche was appointed to serve alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi, working to advance the administration’s public safety agenda. In his role at DOJ, he participated in initiatives aimed at combating illegal activity and protecting American businesses from fraud.
In addition to his professional career, Blanche has been married to his wife Kristine for almost three decades. He is a father of two and grandfather of one.
According to his LinkedIn profile, he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1996 in communications, legal institutions, economics and government, and political science. Later in 2003, he completed his juris doctorate at Brooklyn Law School.
Blanche career timeline
From May 1999 to July 2003, Blanche worked as an Assistant in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office (SDNY) in the New York City metropolitan area.
From 2003 to 2006, he worked as a Litigation Associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. During this time he also served as a law clerk in the chambers of the Honorable Joseph F. Bianco.
In October 2006, he joined the US Attorney’s Office, where he worked for more than eight years. His roles included Co-Chief of the White Plains Division of the Southern District of New York from October 2006 to November 2014 and Co-Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit (SDNY) from July 2011 to July 2013.
In 2014, Blanche joined WilmerHale as Counsel, where he served until 2017. He then moved to Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP as a partner, where he remained until April 2023.
Between 2023 and 2025, he became a founding partner of Blanche Law. In March 2025, he was appointed Deputy Attorney General at the US Department of Justice.
