President Donald Trump on Monday formally nominated acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to serve permanently as the nation's top law enforcement officer, sending the nomination to the Senate for consideration, according to The Hill.
Blanche, who previously served as deputy attorney general, has led the Department of Justice for the past two months after the departure of former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Trump announced last week that he intended to make Blanche the permanent attorney general.
Before joining the administration, Blanche served as one of Trump's criminal defense attorneys during several legal cases brought against the president.
During his tenure as acting attorney general, the Department of Justice has pursued several high-profile cases, including indictments against the Southern Poverty Law Center and former Cuban President Raul Castro.
The department also brought a second case against former FBI Director James Comey, alleging he threatened Trump by posting an image displaying "86 47."
Blanche also approved the creation of a $1.7 billion "anti-weaponization" fund as part of a settlement involving a lawsuit over the disclosure of Trump's tax records. Following bipartisan criticism, Blanche later told lawmakers the department would "not be moving forward" with the fund.
Blanche was confirmed to his previous Justice Department position by a 52-46 Senate vote.
His nomination for attorney general now heads to a Senate where some Republicans have raised concerns about the anti-weaponization fund.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., suggested that confirmation is not guaranteed.
"Most of our members are pretty deferential to who the president wants in some of these key positions," Thune said before adding, "This is an environment where nothing's a safe or sure bet these days."
Democrats are expected to oppose the nomination. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized Blanche's nomination Monday.
"Donald Trump has been engaged in the most corrupt enterprise in the history of the presidency. Todd Blanche apparently has not noticed," Durbin said.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, endorsed the nomination, calling Blanche "well-qualified" and saying he "has shown his dedication to restoring law and order across our country."
President Donald Trump ripped Sen. Thom Tillis on Friday after the North Carolina Republican said he would not support Blanche unless he condemns the Jan. 6, 2021, disruption at the U.S. Capitol.
Asked by a reporter about Tillis' opposition to Blanche's confirmation, Trump responded with a series of attacks against the senator, arguing that Tillis had lost support within the Republican Party and would not have been able to win reelection.
"Sen. Tillis is a loser, stone cold," Trump said. "He's an angry man because I basically — he said he was forced to leave the Senate because I wouldn't support him, and he quit. So now he's trying to make trouble by opposing anybody."