On Saturday morning, August 8th, 2026, the U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General by a vote of 50 to 49. Blanche, who previously served as Donald Trump’s personal defense lawyer, now assumes the nation's top legal office.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticized the confirmation, stating that Senate Republicans have "handed Trump an excuse on a silver platter" to continue what Schumer described as "pervasive, breathtaking misconduct." Schumer emphasized that "if you want to wipe out misconduct, you can't have the president's personal attorney as the attorney general," adding that Blanche has no intention of stopping Trump’s alleged misconduct. He also pledged that Senate Democrats will continue to resist what they call the Trump administration’s "assault on the rule of law and undermining of democratic values."

New Mexico Democratic Representative Melanie Stansbury echoed these concerns, calling the confirmation a "dark moment" for the nation’s traditional system of checks and balances. Stansbury expressed skepticism about Blanche’s independence, stating in a radio interview, “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.”

During Blanche’s previous roles as deputy and acting attorney general, the department indicted former FBI Director James Comey twice, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, cases that some experts consider weak.

Separately, the government faces a potential shutdown after September 30th if new funding is not approved. Republican Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins described the continuing resolution as "a major step toward averting a damaging shutdown that only harms vital programs and federal workers," noting it does not make major changes to funding levels.

The confirmation and ongoing funding debates highlight deep partisan divides over governance and legal oversight in the United States.

Sources