Washington DC - The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, to be deputy attorney general, the second-highest ranking job in the Justice Department.

Blanche, who defended Trump in his hush money trial in New York and his two federal cases, was approved by a 52-46 vote in the Republican-dominated Senate.

Trump, the first US president ever to be convicted of a crime, has named three of his former lawyers to top jobs in the Justice Department.

Emil Bove, who also defended Trump in the hush money trial and the federal cases, has been named principal associate deputy attorney general, the third-ranking position.

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John Sauer, who successfully argued Trump's presidential immunity case before the Supreme Court, was named Solicitor General, the lawyer in the Justice Department who represents the federal government in cases before the nation's highest court.

Pam Bondi, a former Florida prosecutor and Trump loyalist, was named to head the Justice Department as attorney general.

Blanche and Bove, both former federal prosecutors in New York, defended Trump in the New York case that ended in his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star.

They also represented Trump in the two federal cases brought against him by Special Counsel Jack Smith.