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.

Blanche expressed gratitude after the vote, stating he was "deeply honoured by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me."

Concerns raised by some Republican senators during the confirmation process included Blanche's handling of the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents and his involvement in establishing Trump's $1.8 billion (approximately £1.3 billion) "anti-weaponisation" fund. This fund was intended to compensate individuals alleging government persecution, but critics, including Senator Murkowski, feared it might benefit those prosecuted for participating in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Congress. Blanche pledged to walk back the fund following pushback.

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

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

This confirmation marks a significant moment in the Trump administration's legal and political landscape.

Sources