US President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, has been narrowly confirmed as Attorney General, the nation’s top law enforcement official. This confirmation ends a prolonged standoff between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration regarding Blanche, who has acted as Attorney General since April.
Blanche secured confirmation with a 50-49 vote, with Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joining all Democrats in opposing his nomination. Senator Bill Cassidy cast the decisive vote, closely watched in Washington due to his contentious relationship with Trump.
Concerns among some Republican senators about Blanche’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents and his role in creating Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponisation” fund influenced the proceedings. This fund, intended to compensate individuals alleging government persecution, was criticized by Murkowski and others who feared it might benefit those prosecuted for involvement in the January 6 attack on Congress in 2021.
Blanche eventually agreed to retract the fund following backlash from Republican senators during confirmation hearings. However, it is unclear if this commitment holds legal weight or if Trump might later convince Blanche to resurrect a similar initiative under a different name.
These issues led Collins and Murkowski to withhold support for Blanche, with Murkowski specifically expressing doubts about his ability to counteract the administration’s worst impulses. She announced her opposition on Friday, citing concerns over the “politicization” of the Justice Department.
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After the vote, Blanche expressed gratitude for the trust and confidence President Trump placed in him. Concerns from Collins also included Blanche’s involvement in settling Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit with the IRS, but she ultimately trusted him to provide candid legal counsel to the president.
Before casting the critical vote, Cassidy stated that he viewed Blanche as the best candidate Trump could propose. “This is not a referendum on President Trump; it is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in specific circumstances,” Cassidy remarked. “All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche.”
While recognizing that Trump ultimately sets the Justice Department’s direction, Cassidy believed Senate confirmation would give Blanche more leverage to advocate for necessary changes.
During Trump’s second impeachment in 2021, Cassidy voted to convict Trump over the January 6 Capitol riot, a vote that did not pass. When Trump returned to office, he successfully forced Cassidy into retirement by supporting a primary opponent for his Louisiana Senate seat earlier this year.
Blanche had been serving as Deputy Attorney General before stepping into the interim leadership role in April after Pam Bondi was dismissed.
BBC
