# Trent McCotter **Trent McCotter** has been **Acting Deputy Attorney General** since **August 10, 2026** — the day [[Todd Blanche]] was sworn in as [[Attorney General]], vacating the deputy's seat. He also serves as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General. As of September 2026 there is **no Senate-confirmed Deputy Attorney General**, and no nominee has been announced. The seat matters for this vault because the Deputy Attorney General has historically been the official who appoints a [[Special Counsel]] when the Attorney General is recused — the route by which [[Robert Mueller]] was appointed in 2017 by Rod Rosenstein. Under 28 C.F.R. § 600.1 that authority belongs to the Acting Attorney General "in cases in which the Attorney General is recused," so a vacancy or an acting holder in this seat is a live variable in any recusal scenario. Before DOJ, McCotter litigated at a conservative public-interest firm and directed a separation-of-powers program at a law school center. This is a stub — expand with his pre-DOJ record, the confirmation picture for the permanent seat, and his role in the 2026 U.S. Attorney appointment litigation. ## See Also - [[Attorney General]] · [[Department of Justice]] · [[DOJ Component Tree]] - [[Special Counsel Appointment and Removal Flow]] · [[Todd Blanche]]