Todd Blanche, Trump's ex-lawyer, confirmed as US attorney general
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was the deciding vote after a lengthy stand-off.
Todd Blanche, formerly President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, has been confirmed as the US attorney general, the nation's chief law enforcement officer. Blanche had been serving as acting attorney general since April.
His confirmation passed with a 50-49 vote. Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted against him, while Senator Bill Cassidy cast the decisive vote. Cassidy stated his belief that Blanche was the best candidate the president would propose, a decision that had been keenly awaited in Washington given the long-standing animosity between Trump and the senator.
This vote resolves a prolonged disagreement between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration regarding Blanche's nomination. All Democratic senators voted against his appointment to lead the Justice Department.
Some Republican senators had expressed reservations about Blanche's handling of the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and his involvement in establishing Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund. This fund was intended to compensate individuals claiming government persecution, but critics, including Murkowski, worried it might benefit those prosecuted for their involvement in the January 6 attack on Congress. Blanche eventually committed to abandoning the fund following criticism from Republican senators during his confirmation hearings. It remains uncertain whether this commitment is legally binding or if Trump could later persuade Blanche, his former personal attorney, to reintroduce a similar initiative under a different name.
These concerns led Collins and Murkowski to withhold their support. Murkowski, who announced her opposition on Friday, cited a lack of confidence in Blanche's ability to "check the worst impulses of this administration" and raised concerns about the "politicisation" of the Justice Department.
Collins also voiced concerns about Blanche's role in settling Trump's $10 billion lawsuit with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). However, both Collins and Cassidy ultimately stated their trust in Blanche to provide the president with candid legal advice.
"This is not a referendum on President Trump, it is a decision regarding Mr Blanche, in very specific circumstances," Cassidy stated on Friday. "All considered, I will vote for Mr Blanche." Cassidy acknowledged that Trump ultimately determines the Justice Department's direction but believed Senate confirmation would give Blanche "greater leverage to push for things that should be pushed for." He also expressed reluctance to hinder the department's efforts against violent crime.
During Trump's second impeachment in 2021, Cassidy voted to convict Trump for his role in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. The impeachment failed, and upon Trump's return to office, he successfully forced Cassidy into retirement by backing a primary challenger for his Louisiana Senate seat earlier this year.
Blanche was already deputy attorney general when he assumed the interim leadership role in April, following Pam Bondi's dismissal.