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 50-49 Senate vote on Saturday, August 8th, 2026.

The confirmation ended a prolonged standoff between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration. Blanche had been serving as acting attorney general since April 2026. The vote saw two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, join 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 role in establishing Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponisation" fund. This fund was intended to compensate individuals alleging government persecution, but critics, including Murkowski, feared it might benefit those prosecuted for participating in the January 6, 2021, attack on Congress. Blanche pledged to walk back the fund following pushback during his confirmation hearings.

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

After the vote, Blanche said he was "deeply honoured by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me."

The confirmation is seen as a critical moment, with some senators emphasizing that the decision was about Blanche specifically and not a referendum on President Trump. Blanche's supporters highlighted his potential to "check the worst impulses of this administration" and provide "greater leverage to push for things that should be pushed for."

Sources