On Saturday, August 8, 2026, the US Senate narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general, marking a significant victory for former President Donald Trump. Blanche, who previously served as Trump's personal lawyer, will now lead the nation's law enforcement department.

The confirmation vote was close, passing 50-49 along party lines. Every Democrat opposed Blanche's nomination, while Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana cast the deciding vote in favor. Two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted against him.

Blanche had been acting attorney general prior to the confirmation, but his nomination faced weeks of uncertainty. He encountered resistance from some Republican senators over the department's plan to establish a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" and provisions granting tax immunity to Trump, his sons, and his businesses.

Senator Cassidy acknowledged Blanche's imperfections but emphasized the choice was between Blanche and another acting attorney general who might not manage the department effectively under Trump. "Mr Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this, but the choice is not between perfection and Mr Blanche," Cassidy said on the Senate floor.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the confirmation, stating that Senate Republicans have "handed Trump an excuse on a silver platter" to continue his "pervasive, breathtaking misconduct."

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 that experts consider weak.

Additionally, former Attorney General Kelly condemned Blanche's secret meeting with Ghislane Maxwell before her transfer to a minimum-security prison camp, asserting, "The Attorney General should serve the American people, not the president's wish list."

Despite the controversies, Blanche's confirmation solidifies Trump's influence over the Justice Department.

Sources