US President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, has been narrowly confirmed as the United States Attorney General, the nation's top law enforcement official, following a contentious Senate vote on Saturday, August 8th, 2026.

The confirmation vote ended a prolonged standoff between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration. Blanche, who had been serving as acting attorney general since April, secured confirmation by a 50-49 margin. Notably, two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, joined all Democrats in opposing his nomination. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican known for his past acrimony with Trump, cast the deciding vote in favor of Blanche.

Concerns raised by some Republican senators included Blanche's handling of the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents and his involvement in establishing a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponisation" fund. This fund was intended to compensate individuals alleging government persecution, but critics, including Murkowski, feared it could benefit those prosecuted for participating in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Congress. Following pushback during confirmation hearings, Blanche pledged to scale back the fund.

Collins also expressed reservations about Blanche's role in settling Trump's $10 billion lawsuit with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), though she ultimately trusted him to provide the president with candid legal advice.

After the vote, Blanche stated he was "deeply honoured by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me." The confirmation marks a significant moment in Washington, with Blanche expected to have "greater leverage to push for things that should be pushed for" and to "check the worst impulses of this administration," according to supporters.

During Trump's second impeachment trial in 2021, Cassidy voted to convict Trump over the January 6 Capitol riot, highlighting the complex political dynamics surrounding Blanche's confirmation.

Sources