On Saturday, August 8th, 2026, the US Senate voted 50–49 to confirm Todd Blanche as the attorney general, a pivotal win for President Donald Trump. Blanche, Trump's former personal lawyer, had been serving as acting attorney general and is now officially empowered to lead the Justice Department.

The confirmation capped one of the most divisive cabinet battles of Trump's second term. Concerns from both Republicans and Democrats about Blanche's independence nearly derailed his nomination. Two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, opposed the confirmation, citing fears over the erosion of the department's independence and objections to a controversial $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" that would have compensated allies of Trump, including January 6 Capitol attackers, and shielded Trump and his family from IRS tax audits.

Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana cast the deciding vote in favor of Blanche, stating on the Senate floor, “Mr Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this, but the choice is not between perfection and Mr Blanche. It is between Mr 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.”

During his tenure as deputy and acting attorney general, Blanche accelerated investigations into Trump's perceived political foes and oversaw indictments against figures such as former FBI director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, cases critics consider weak.

Blanche defended Trump against criminal charges brought by the Biden administration's Department of Justice, claiming firsthand experience of what he described as the weaponization of the criminal justice system against the former president.

On social media, Blanche expressed gratitude, saying he was “deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me” and thanked senators for their late-night work to confirm him.

The confirmation vote reflects ongoing tensions over the Justice Department's role and independence amid Trump's efforts to use it to investigate political adversaries.

Sources