The US Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general on Saturday, August 8th, 2026, 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 apparatus.

Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana cast the decisive vote in favor of Blanche after two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, opposed the nomination. Cassidy acknowledged that "Mr Blanche is not perfect," but emphasized the choice was between 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."

Blanche's confirmation followed weeks of uncertainty and pushback from Republican senators concerned about the Department of Justice's agreement to establish a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" and provisions granting tax immunity to Trump, his sons, and his businesses. Murkowski expressed apprehension on social media, stating, "Once we vote, that will end, and there is no telling what the future holds."

During his time as deputy attorney general and acting attorney general, the Department of Justice indicted former FBI director James Comey twice, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, though experts have described these cases as thin.

Collins, running for re-election in Maine, criticized Blanche's tenure, saying, "While I believe Mr Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political. Mr Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation."

Blanche expressed his loyalty to Trump earlier this year, saying in April, shortly after being named acting attorney general, "I love working for President Trump, it’s the greatest honor of a lifetime."

Sources