On Saturday, August 8th, 2026, the U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche, former personal attorney to Donald Trump, as attorney general by a vote of 50 to 49. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer condemned Senate Republicans, stating they have “handed Trump an excuse on a silver platter” to continue what he described as “pervasive, breathtaking misconduct.” Schumer emphasized that having the president’s personal attorney as attorney general undermines efforts to address corruption, writing on X, “You don’t need a PhD in political science to know that.”

Schumer also pledged that Senate Democrats will persist in resisting 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 Blanche’s confirmation a “dark moment” for the nation’s system of checks and balances. She stated 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. I think there’s a big difference between the two.”

During his previous roles as deputy and acting attorney general, Blanche’s department indicted former FBI director James Comey twice, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, with experts viewing these cases as weak.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Trump, and Senate conservatives agreed to postpone a vote on a budget resolution and defer action on a significant portion of the SAVE America Act until after the congressional recess.

This confirmation follows a period of heightened tensions, with senior Trump officials criticizing British authorities and spreading misinformation on issues including abortion and digital regulation, while aligning with European far-right groups on hate speech and immigration policies.

Sources