Badlands Media Special Coverage: 8/13/26 - Todd Blanche Sworn In as 88th Attorney General

Todd Blanche steps up as the 88th Attorney General and gives the kind of speech that's part victory lap, part love letter to the DOJ, tracing his own path from a college intern in the building all the way to the top job. He walks the room through his career, from paralegal to prosecutor to Deputy AG, before laying out a promise to lead with integrity, back federal law enforcement without apology, and keep hammering cartels, gangs, and anyone committing fraud against the government. There's a rundown of the department's recent wins on violent crime, fentanyl seizures, and border enforcement, plus a genuinely heartfelt thank you to the paralegals, analysts, and support staff who rarely get credit. It's less a policy announcement and more a mission statement, equal parts pep talk and changing of the guard, with Blanche making clear he sees himself as one of the career staff first and the boss second.