Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Republican Senators Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski on Capitol Hill Wednesday afternoon, August 6th, 2026, as they consider whether to back his nomination to serve as attorney general, sources told ABC News.

The confirmation vote is tightly contested, with Blanche able to afford losing only one GOP vote. Senator Susan Collins announced Tuesday she will vote against Blanche’s nomination when it reaches the Senate floor, possibly by the end of the week. With Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell absent and Democrats opposing the nomination, a "no" vote from either Cassidy or Murkowski could derail Blanche’s confirmation.

Cassidy expressed concerns about what he described as "lawfare" at the Department of Justice, referring to prosecutions motivated by political anger, presumably linked to former President Donald Trump. He also emphasized the need for Blanche to act as an attorney general independent of his past role as Trump’s personal attorney, stating, "I've got to be convinced that he is an attorney general who just happens to have once been President Trump's personal attorney, as opposed to President Trump's personal attorney who is now the attorney general."

Meanwhile, Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who had reservations about Blanche due to issues including Trump's IRS immunity deal and the administration's controversial $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund," voted to advance Blanche out of committee to a full Senate vote after reaching an agreement with him. Cornyn noted that despite the agreement lacking language to prevent the fund's potential resurrection under a different name or method, the Department of Justice has been "consistent" in asserting that the fund is dead.

The outcome of the confirmation vote remains uncertain as key Republican senators weigh their positions.

Sources