Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is expected to get an extended run atop the Justice Department, as the White House views his prosecution of President Donald Trump’s political opponents as part of his audition for the full-time post.

Trump announced earlier this month that Blanche would replace Pam Bondi as attorney general, but kept his options open as to who would lead the department down the road.

“I think that Todd Blanche is doing a very good job, from what I’m seeing,” the president told reporters earlier this month.

For now, Blanche is in the midst of a “trial run” leading the DOJ, as two sources familiar with the discussions described the state of play to NOTUS. That run reached a fever pitch on Tuesday as a federal prosecutor secured an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey in North Carolina over an Instagram photo that prosecutors argue was threatening to the president.

At the announcement of the criminal charges against Comey — a former FBI director Trump has long considered one of his political enemies over the bureau’s Russia investigation — Blanche ended the press conference by saying, “You cannot threaten to kill the president of the United States, full stop.”

The Comey indictment was one of a series of Justice Department actions Tuesday that caught the eye of Trump supporters. The DOJ also indicted a close adviser to longtime Trump rival Anthony Fauci and announced raids in Minneapolis focused on Medicaid fraud — moves that appear to shore up support for Blanche already running ahead of expectations.

“I’ve heard the job is his and he’s doing all the right things to get it,” one Republican strategist close to the White House told NOTUS on Tuesday, recounting recent conversations with senior administration officials.

Whether the president would ever bump Blanche out as “acting” attorney general is an open question.

“Thats where it gets interesting,” the Republican strategist said. “The president can exert the maximum amount of leverage over him by leaving him as acting AG, so why not?”

Blanche did not respond for comment for this story.

Still, Blanche has appeared to try to fit the mode Trump wants. Tuesday marked the third time in less than a week that Blanche engaged in the kind of presentation Trump personally likes best: taking the podium in front of the cameras and delivering stern messages — with a few potshots reserved for the press.

Monday, while announcing criminal charges against the man accused of trying to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Blanche decried violent political rhetoric but then turned to the reporters in the room and called them “just as guilty.”

“When you have reporters and when you have media just being overly critical and calling the president horrible names, for no reason and without proof, it shouldn’t surprise us that this type of rhetoric take place,” he said.

During a press conference last week Tuesday, Blanche jumped to the rescue of FBI Director Kash Patel when an NBC News reporter pressed Patel to answer questions about his alleged mismanagement of the bureau and excessive drinking.

“Man, stop,” Blanche said, interjecting. “You’re being extraordinarily rude. And I know maybe that’s part of your profession, but please just stop … Now you’re interrupting me. Just a little bit of respect, man. Just a tiny little bit. Try it sometime.”

The new persona isn’t a natural fit for Blanche, whose gentle and even apologetic demeanor as Trump’s lawyer in court often seemed too docile for Trump when he was facing state criminal charges in New York and federal indictments in Washington and Florida. However, his tone has become more aggressive over the past year as Trump has exerted more control over the DOJ and Blanche has morphed from Trump’s defender-in-chief to his enforcer.

It’s Blanche’s name that has graced dozens of form letters sent to assistant U.S. attorneys who’ve been fired for working on matters that have personally bothered Trump, from the Mar-a-Lago documents case to investigations of MAGA causes.

Blanche has dismissed criticism that there should be a wall between the White House and the Justice Department. There have been frequent discussions between DOJ brass and the White House about border policies and fraud enforcement for months, according to a source familiar with those discussions.

Blanche has also shown a willingness to meet with many of his former Trumpworld colleagues to discuss ongoing criminal matters and their requests to narrow the scope of investigations or even drop cases, according to two people familiar with those meetings. That willingness jives well with Trump’s transactional approach to politics, these people said.

Blanche’s ascension came after Bondi’s ouster, with Trump growing frustrated with her handling of the release of the Epstein files and the inability of the DOJ to prosecute a number of his high-profile political opponents.

Trump has spent years vowing to exact revenge against his sworn political enemies. But the DOJ under Bondi didn’t indict many of those he publicly threatened, including former Rep. Liz Cheney, ex-White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson and Gen. Mark Milley, the former chair of the joint chiefs of staff.

The biggest fish of that group might be former CIA Director John Brennan. Multiple DOJ sources told NOTUS that a potential indictment of Brennan is considered Blanche’s “audition” for the role.

Amid the extended run, Senate Republicans and aides are anticipating Blanche will be in place for the foreseeable future, as they do not expect Trump to name a full-time nominee any time soon.

“Clearly, precedent is there,” said Sen. Katie Britt, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pointing to the extended stay by former Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, who was the No. 2 at the department under then-President Joe Biden before being tapped to lead it. However, her nomination was never formally withdrawn, allowing her to lead the department in that acting capacity until the end of the Biden administration.

“I would expect him to stay,” Britt said. “I don’t think anyone is in a hurry.”

As noted by Britt and other Republicans, the precedent set by the Biden administration with Su would allow Blanche to stay in the role for 400 days. Su was the deputy labor secretary before being elevated to the acting position, but was unable to secure the requisite support from moderate Senate Democrats, leaving her in limbo for the rest of Biden’s term.

Trump could also be weighing other options. The president met with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, a second source familiar with the discussions told NOTUS, and inquired whether he would want the job. The first source also noted that DOJ officials also expressed concern over Zeldin’s lack of credentials for the post.

Multiple sources also noted that Sen. Eric Schmitt, a top Trump ally on Capitol Hill, was also kicked around as a possible candidate as the White House searches for someone who could fulfill Trump’s wishes as the next attorney general.

This is the second time the DOJ has targeted Comey. A federal judge in November dismissed charges brought against Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Federal prosecutors argued this time that a photo Comey posted to Instagram of seashells reading “86 47” was threatening to the president. The number 86 is a common term used to get rid of something and Trump is now the 47th president.

More prosecutions are expected to follow. If the effort sticks, the strategist said, Blanche “will have already done what Pamela could not.”

Thus far, multiple key Senate Republicans indicated that they are more than satisfied with Blanche’s work so far and for him to remain.

“I think he’s doing a good job. He’s been there. I like Todd,” Schmitt told NOTUS.

“That’s ultimately the president’s decision,” the senator continued about a full-time nominee. “I have no expectations one way or another.”