The US Senate confirmed Todd Blanche, former defense lawyer for Donald Trump, as attorney general by a narrow 50 to 49 vote early Saturday morning, August 8, 2026. The confirmation was part of a broader Republican-led effort that approved 71 of Trump’s nominees for various federal positions, including ambassadors, US attorneys, judges, and senior agency staff.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the Republican vote, stating that it "handed Trump an excuse on a silver platter" to continue his "pervasive, breathtaking misconduct." Schumer emphasized that "if you want to wipe out corruption, you can’t have the president’s personal attorney as the attorney general," adding that Blanche has no intention of stopping Trump’s misconduct. He also pledged that Senate Democrats will continue to resist what he described as the Trump administration’s "assault on the rule of law and undermining of democratic values."

During the 2019 impeachment inquiry into Trump’s pressure campaign against Ukraine, Fiona Hill, a Russia expert at the National Security Council during Trump’s first term, testified that an official named Griffith was present at a July 2019 meeting where John Bolton, then national security adviser, discovered that other US officials had secretly pressed Ukraine to open a sham investigation into Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, Pete Buttigieg called for unity among Democrats during a rally in Michigan, highlighting the high stakes of upcoming elections in the swing state. He noted that despite the broad "big tent" of the Democratic Party, there are significant issues where Democrats and most Michiganders agree, but Republicans in Washington and Lansing disagree.

Additionally, the government faces a potential shutdown after September 30 if new funding is not approved. Susan Collins, chair of the Republican Senate appropriations committee, described the continuing resolution as a "major step toward averting a damaging shutdown that only harms vital programs and federal workers," noting it does not make major changes to funding levels.

Sources