Bill Cassidy, the Republican senator from Louisiana and the last undecided GOP vote, announced on Friday, August 7th, 2026, that he will support Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general. Blanche, a former personal lawyer and loyal ally of former President Donald Trump, had faced opposition from moderate Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Cassidy acknowledged Blanche is "not perfect," but emphasized the choice was between Blanche and an acting attorney general who might not effectively run the Department of Justice under Trump. Cassidy’s backing appears to clear the final hurdle in Blanche’s confirmation process.

Murkowski, Alaska’s moderate Republican senator, had earlier declared she would not vote for Blanche, leaving Cassidy as the decisive vote. Maine’s Susan Collins had already opposed the nomination over concerns about the independence of the Department of Justice.

Cassidy, who lost his Louisiana primary in May and had faced pressure from the White House, had expressed concerns about "lawfare" at the Justice Department before his decision. Blanche is expected to be confirmed by a narrow margin, likely along party lines, before the Senate’s five-week August recess.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, though Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is currently absent due to health reasons. Both Murkowski and Cassidy were among the few Republicans who voted to convict Trump following his 2021 impeachment related to the January 6 Capitol riot.

Sources