President-elect Donald Trump has announced Todd Blanche as his pick for the number two lawyer at the Justice Department. Blanche, who has represented Trump in various criminal cases, will need to undergo Senate confirmation once formally nominated as deputy attorney general.
The role of the Justice Department's deputy attorney general involves managing day-to-day functions of the department and advising the attorney general on policy priorities and other matters.
Blanche played a significant role in Trump's defense teams in high-profile cases such as the Manhattan hush money case, resulting in a conviction earlier this year, and the federal classified documents prosecution, which was dismissed by a judge in the summer. He was also involved in the federal January 6 case.
In Trump's only criminal trial this year, Blanche served as the lead attorney in the hush money case, conducting a multi-day cross-examination of Michael Cohen. He faced challenges from Judge Juan Merchan, who questioned Blanche's credibility while defending Trump's violations of a gag order.
Prior to his private practice, Blanche spent several years as a federal prosecutor. He stepped down from the law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, where he was a partner, to represent Trump last year.
Trump also announced Emil Bove as his selection for principal associate deputy attorney general. Bove, a former co-chief of the national security unit at the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, was part of Trump's legal team in the hush money case.
