On Saturday morning, August 8th, 2026, the U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche, former personal attorney to Donald Trump, as attorney general by a 50 to 49 vote. The confirmation has sparked significant criticism from Senate Democrats.

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer condemned Senate Republicans for what he described as handing Trump "an excuse on a silver platter" to continue his "pervasive, breathtaking misconduct." Schumer stated on X that "If you want to wipe out corruption, you can’t have the president’s personal attorney as the attorney general. Todd Blanche has no intention of stopping Trump’s misconduct."

New Mexico Democratic representative Melanie Stansbury called the confirmation a "dark moment" for the nation’s system of checks and balances. She emphasized the distinction between an attorney general who once happened to be Trump’s personal attorney and one who remains his personal attorney in the role, saying, "I think there’s a big difference between the two."

During Blanche’s tenure 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 viewed by experts as thin.

Schumer also pledged that Senate Democrats will continue to resist what he called the Trump administration’s "assault on the rule of law and undermining of democratic values."

Meanwhile, 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 significantly change funding levels.

Additionally, Senate majority leader John Thune, Trump, and Senate conservatives agreed to postpone a vote on a budget resolution and delay action on a significant portion of the SAVE America Act until after the congressional recess.

Sources