An article summarized by The Hill:
The Senate voted 50–49 early Saturday to confirm Todd Blanche as the nation’s 88th attorney general, giving President Trump’s former personal lawyer control of the Justice Department. Blanche secured the nomination after making several commitments to skeptical Republicans, including formally rescinding a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that was expected to benefit Trump allies and Jan. 6 defendants. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) ultimately provided the crucial Republican vote, arguing that Blanche would be preferable to leaving the department under an acting attorney general.
Blanche faced significant opposition from Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who cited concerns about his independence from Trump and his handling of the Justice Department. They criticized his previous approval of the anti-weaponization fund, a memo granting Trump and his family broad immunity from government investigations, and other actions they said had weakened the department’s independence. Democrats similarly accused Blanche of putting Trump’s interests ahead of the Justice Department’s responsibilities and raised concerns about investigations into Trump’s political opponents, the handling of the Epstein files, and the firing and demotion of career DOJ officials.
The confirmation gives Blanche a permanent position as the country’s top law enforcement official at a time when the Justice Department faces intense political scrutiny. Supporters, including Cassidy, argued that having a Senate-confirmed attorney general could give Blanche greater leverage to resist Trump when necessary, while critics questioned whether he would actually exercise that independence. The vote followed unusually intense Republican resistance, with Blanche having to make written commitments to secure enough support, leaving questions about how independently he will operate once those Senate negotiations are no longer necessary.
