Todd Blanche was confirmed as the United States attorney general by a narrow Senate vote of 50 to 49 early on Saturday morning, August 8th, 2026. Only two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined all Senate Democrats in opposing his nomination.

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer condemned the confirmation, stating that Senate Republicans have "handed Trump an excuse on a silver platter" to continue what Schumer described as Trump’s "pervasive, breathtaking misconduct." Schumer emphasized that "if you want to wipe out corruption, you can’t have the president’s personal attorney as the attorney general," adding, "you don’t need a PhD in political science to know that."

Schumer also said Senate Democrats will continue to resist what they see as 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 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. I think there’s a big difference between the two."

During his previous roles as deputy attorney general and acting attorney general, Blanche’s department indicted former FBI director James Comey twice, New York attorney general Letitia James, and the non-profit Southern Poverty Law Center, actions that some experts have criticized as based on weak cases.

Meanwhile, Senate majority leader John Thune, President 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 Senate recess.

Sources