The No. 2 official at the Justice Department has been temporarily appointed to oversee the Library of Congress, according to a department official on Monday.
Todd Blanche, who has served as deputy attorney general for the past two months, is the latest official from the Trump administration to assume additional interim leadership roles as President Trump continues to dismiss senior agency officials.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio currently holds multiple temporary titles, including interim national security adviser, while managing his responsibilities overseeing the nation’s foreign policy. Earlier this year, F.B.I. Director Kash Patel also supervised the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives until he was succeeded by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll in April.
Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s lead defense lawyer during a criminal trial in Manhattan last year, takes over the role of acting Librarian of Congress from Carla Hayden.
Hayden, who had held the position since 2016, was dismissed following comments from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who stated that she had been promoting “inappropriate books in the library for children.” This characterization raised questions, as the library is primarily a research facility accessible only to individuals aged 16 and older.