Encyclopedia · Biography
Todd Blanche
Former Trump defense attorney and 88th U.S. attorney general
Personal details
- Full name
- Todd Blanche
- Born
- August 6, 1974, Denver, Colorado
- Education
- American University, B.A. (1996); Brooklyn Law School, J.D. (2003)
- Spouse
- Kristine Blanche
- Children
- Two adult children
- Public office
- Deputy attorney general (2025–2026); attorney general (since August 2026)
Todd Blanche is an American attorney and government official who became the 88th attorney general of the United States in August 2026. He was previously deputy attorney general and a defense lawyer for Donald Trump in three criminal cases.
Early career and legal practice
Blanche worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York as a paralegal while attending law school. He later became a federal prosecutor, eventually co-leading the office’s Violent Crimes Unit and White Plains Division. He moved to private practice in 2014, including partnerships at WilmerHale and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.
Representation of Donald Trump
As a private attorney, Blanche represented Trump in criminal proceedings brought during 2023 and 2024. That attorney-client relationship preceded Blanche’s federal executive appointment and is documented separately from the Department of Justice’s later actions.
Department of Justice leadership
Blanche became deputy attorney general on March 6, 2025. After serving as acting attorney general in 2026, he was confirmed by the Senate on August 8 and sworn in on August 10 as attorney general, succeeding Pam Bondi. The FBI, U.S. Attorneys and other components are within the Department of Justice; that institutional chain should not be confused with evidence of personal collaboration in particular cases.
References
Research compiled November 13, 2026. Open questions belong in a separate research note, not in the public text.
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Documented connections
These are specifically described relationships in public records. A shared institution, appointment or event does not by itself demonstrate coordination or wrongdoing.
- Donald Trump (person) — former attorney/client and later appointment: Represented Trump in three criminal cases; Trump later appointed him to DOJ leadership · 2023–2026
- Donald Trump (person) — attorney-client then presidential appointment: Blanche represented Trump as private counsel in three criminal cases before serving as Attorney General · 2023–2026
- Jay Clayton (person) — federal prosecutorial hierarchy: Clayton served as U.S. Attorney in SDNY while Blanche served in Justice leadership; not evidence of individual case coordination · 2025–2026
- Jeanine Pirro (person) — DOJ institutional hierarchy: D.C. U.S. Attorney serves within DOJ headed by Blanche beginning August 2026; not a private partnership · since August 2026
- Kash Patel (person) — DOJ/FBI statutory hierarchy: Attorney general leads DOJ; FBI is directed by Kash Patel · since August 2026
- Pam Bondi (person) — Justice Department succession: Bondi was succeeded by Blanche as U.S. attorney general · 2026
- United States Department of Justice (organization) — senior government employment: Deputy attorney general from March 2025; attorney general since August 2026 · 2025–present