Trump expected to nominate Todd Blanche as attorney general as soon as tonight

President Donald Trump is expected to nominate Todd Blanche as attorney general as soon as Wednesday night, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Trump mentioned the decision at a private White House dinner Wednesday, the sources said.

Blanche has served as acting attorney general for roughly two months since his predecessor, Pam Bondi, was fired. The White House would not confirm the nomination, but spokesperson Abigail Jackson told CNN that Trump “has a great relationship with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and is very pleased with the job he’s doing so far.”

Over recent weeks, Blanche secured indictments against some of Trump’s personal foes, including former FBI Director James Comey, rolled back gun control measures, and issued subpoenas to journalists for their sources, according to CNN. He also announced sweeping fraud initiatives across the country, which CNN reported align with the White House’s “war on fraud.”

The expected nomination comes after Blanche announced Tuesday that the Justice Department was abandoning a proposed $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, following weeks of fierce pushback from Republicans on Capitol Hill, many of whom were anxious over the potential for January 6, 2021, rioters to receive payouts.

Blanche has made little secret of his ambitions. “If he chooses to nominate somebody else and asks me to go do something else, I will say: ‘Thank you very much, I love you, sir,’” he told reporters after being named acting attorney general, calling working for Trump “the greatest honor of a lifetime.”