Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican, announced on Friday, August 7th, 2026, that he will vote to confirm Todd Blanche as the next attorney general, clearing the way for Blanche to lead the Justice Department in a permanent capacity. Cassidy acknowledged that "Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this, but the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche," emphasizing the importance of effective leadership over ideal conditions.

Blanche's confirmation had faced opposition from Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who had already declared their intent to oppose the nomination, making Cassidy's support the decisive factor. The Justice Department had negotiated for weeks with key Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, including John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, to secure their backing for Blanche.

During his confirmation hearing, Blanche faced scrutiny over the Justice Department's handling of the release of more than 3 million pages of documents related to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He also addressed concerns about his meeting last year with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Blanche acknowledged that "mistakes were made" with some of the Epstein documents, which included unredacted names and personal information of victims.

Cassidy noted that the choice was between Blanche and another acting attorney general who "may not run the department effectively under President Trump and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche." He warned that failing to confirm Blanche "puts at risk the progress made fighting violent crime, human and drug trafficking, and fraud," and stated, "This does not serve the American people well."

Cassidy clarified that his vote was not a referendum on former President Trump but a decision about Blanche in specific circumstances, concluding, "All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche."

With Cassidy's support, Blanche is expected to secure confirmation by a narrow margin.

Sources