Before He Worked for Trump, Todd Blanche Was a Registered Democrat

It’s pretty rare for President Donald Trump, the unofficial leader of the MAGA movement, to appoint someone to his cabinet who identifies as a Democrat. That’s because of their differing political views, and doing so could throw a wrench into his plans.

So when he appointed Todd Blanche as interim U.S. Attorney General after firing Pam Bondi on April 2, 2026, people were a little shocked, given Blanche’s political background. In case you didn’t know, Blanche once labeled himself a Democrat until he decided to switch party sides. Surprised by this? So is everyone else.

Keep reading for all the details on Blanche’s time as a Democrat and when he made the switch.

Many members of the MAGA movement and those affiliated with the Republican Party weren’t pleased to hear that Trump appointed Todd Blanche as interim U.S. Attorney General following the dismissal of Pam Bondi on April 2, 2026. The main reason is likely due Blanche’s ties to the Democratic Party.

As late as 2024, Blanche was registered as a Democrat before switching parties and officially turning Republican, according to The Dallas Express, per The New York Times. While it’s not clear if his party switch had anything to do with him wanting to work alongside Trump, or his desire to represent him in a legal capacity, it’s not hard to draw those connections.

For context, Blanche worked as a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP from September 2017 through April 2023, per his LinkedIn, and reportedly told the firm he wanted to represent Trump, but was told he couldn’t while working there. So, he decided to leave, and presumably change political parties, and then went on to serve as Trump’s personal attorney in various cases, including those involving criminal prosecutions against the president.

He also represented him in cases stemming from election interference allegations and charges surrounding classified documents, per Axios. Additionally, he served as a defense lawyer for Trump in the cases tied to hush money payments he allegedly made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Now, although many would agree Blanche has proven himself to be an asset to Trump and a dependable Republican, many still aren’t convinced, like Sara Gonzales, who wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “if you think Bondi was bad, Blanche will be 100 times worse. Mark my words.”

Now that we’ve cleared the air on Blanche’s political affiliation, let’s dig into his pockets.

Given his experience and roles, it’s no surprise that Blanche has an estimated net worth of between $2.1 million and $7.5 million. At least, that’s based on financial disclosures he filed detailing his reported asset values, per ProPublica.

And it’s easy to see how he might have accumulated this much in assets. Not only does Blanche work for the Department of Justice in a prominent role, but he was also a founding partner of Blanche Law and a partner at the major New York firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. Not to mention, he represented Trump in several high-profile cases, so it’s not surprising he’s worth a few million, if not more.