Shirley’s own Lee Zeldin was the leader in the clubhouse, waiting for President Trump to nominate him attorney general, but his phone is now unlikely to ring.
Early momentum behind the EPA administrator as a successor to Pam Bondi quickly faded after running into Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
In the moments after Trump walked out of Supreme Court arguments on April 1 over birthright citizenship, he told Bondi to turn in her shield. Almost immediately, Zeldin was touted as a potential successor. A positive omen for his backers was that Blanche was named as acting, rather than elevated to the position outright.
But Blanche moved quickly to consolidate control.
One of the first in the administration to go up against him was William J. Pulte, who in April 2025 submitted criminal referrals accusing Sen. Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James of mortgage fraud. Blanche, then deputy attorney general, declined to act. In August, Pulte went to the White House, and the president insisted the Justice Department take action, but those cases remain unresolved.
Vice President J.D. Vance also made a run at Blanche. On Jan. 8, Vance announced the creation of a new assistant attorney general position to combat government fraud, designed to operate out of the White House with authority to direct U.S. attorneys.
What Pulte learned—and what Vance soon discovered—was that federal prosecutors reporting to Blanche were not inclined to cross him once he signaled opposition.
Within a week, Vance’s plan was reined in. The new AAG position was placed under Main Justice, reporting to Blanche, and filled by his ally Colin M. McDonald.
The one senior official who did manage to sidestep Blanche was Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. After months of inaction at the Justice Department, Gabbard moved through the intelligence side of the government, directing the FBI’s involvement in the seizure of Fulton County, Georgia, ballots tied to the 2020 election.
As of now, Zeldin remains at the EPA, while Blanche is on a media tour making his case to become attorney general in his own right.