President Donald Trump has elevated Todd Blanche, his former criminal defense attorney, from deputy attorney general to acting head of the Justice Department in a Thursday announcement.
The 51-year-old lawyer gained national recognition during the four years between Trump’s presidential terms by representing him in several high-profile criminal proceedings.
Blanche, who previously worked as a federal prosecutor and law firm partner, spearheaded Trump’s legal defense across multiple cases, including the Manhattan hush money trial that resulted in 34 felony convictions, as well as two federal cases initiated by special counsel Jack Smith that were later dropped.
In a social media statement, Trump described Blanche as “a very talented and respected Legal Mind.”
In his previous role as deputy attorney general, Blanche held the department’s number-two position.
Serving under Attorney General Pam Bondi, he handled daily departmental operations and emerged as one of its primary spokespersons and public representatives. His responsibilities included supervising the disclosure of Jeffrey Epstein government documents and making regular television news appearances.
A closer examination of Blanche’s professional background reveals his path to leading the Justice Department:
The Denver-area native earned his law degree from Brooklyn Law School through evening classes while simultaneously working as a paralegal at Manhattan’s U.S. attorney’s office, graduating with honors. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from American University in Washington, D.C.
Following law school, Blanche clerked for federal judges Denny Chin and Joseph Bianco, who now serve on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, before spending eight years as a federal prosecutor in the same Manhattan office where he had worked as a paralegal.
During his prosecutorial career, he spent two years leading the office’s violent crimes unit as co-chief, supervising approximately 24 prosecutors handling murder, kidnapping, and other serious violent crime cases.
In 2014, Blanche transitioned to private practice, joining WilmerHale’s Manhattan location. Three years later, in September 2017, he moved to Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP as a partner specializing in white collar defense and investigations.
Foreshadowing his future work with Trump, Blanche successfully defended Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager, securing dismissal of a mortgage fraud case in 2019 in the same New York courthouse where Trump would later face trial.
Blanche’s defense strategy centered on arguing that the Manhattan district attorney’s case too closely resembled federal charges that had already sent Manafort to prison, constituting double jeopardy.
In 2023, Blanche departed Cadwalader to join Trump’s legal team, informing colleagues of his decision to represent the former president just before Trump’s arraignment in the hush money case.
In his resignation email, he stated: “I have been asked to represent Trump in the recently charged DA case, and after much thought/consideration, I have decided it is the best thing for me to do and an opportunity I should not pass up.”
Even following his conviction, Trump was impressed by Blanche’s aggressive approach, his readiness to challenge witnesses and judges, and his composure during media appearances.
Trump subsequently appointed both Blanche and fellow defense attorney Emil Bove to senior Justice Department positions in his new administration, while nominating Bove for a judgeship on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last summer.
Beyond the hush money proceedings, Blanche defended Trump in both special counsel cases: the Washington-based 2020 election interference case and the Florida case involving allegations of retaining classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
In both matters, Blanche’s defense team successfully implemented a strategy focused primarily on postponing proceedings beyond the 2024 presidential election. Following Trump’s electoral victory, Smith moved to dismiss both cases, citing established Justice Department guidelines prohibiting the indictment or prosecution of sitting presidents.
Just ten days before Trump’s return to the presidency, Blanche appeared alongside him via video from Mar-a-Lago as a Manhattan judge imposed no punishment in the hush-money case.
“The majority of the American people also agree that this case should not have been brought,” Blanche told the judge, referencing the election outcome as public vindication.
“The American voters got a chance to see and decide for themselves whether this was the kind of case that should’ve been brought,” Blanche said. “And they decided.”
