The US Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in an early Saturday vote, placing President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney atop a Justice Department the administration has openly sought to reshape.
The Republican-led chamber approved Blanche by a margin of 50 to 49, with Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana casting the deciding vote. Two Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined every Democrat in opposition. Blanche becomes the second confirmed attorney general since Trump returned to the White House last year.
Blanche had already been leading the department in an acting capacity, and his confirmation is expected to free him to pursue the administration’s agenda more aggressively. He said he was “honored” following the vote.
The path to confirmation proved unusually rocky, driven in large part by Republican unease over a controversial settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. Cassidy, who was publicly undecided as late as the preceding Wednesday, framed his hesitation in a radio interview.
“I’ve got to be convinced that he is an attorney general who just happens to have once been President Trump’s personal attorney, as opposed to President Trump’s personal attorney who is now the attorney general,” Cassidy said. “I think there’s a big difference between the two.”
Under pressure to secure votes, Blanche pledged in writing that the department would abandon a proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund for the president’s allies, including individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. He also committed to reining in another element of the settlement designed to shield Trump and his family.
The nomination had cleared committee earlier before advancing to the full chamber, capping a fight that stretched on amid demands for assurances over the IRS settlement. The tumultuous process exposed concerns from members of both parties about installing a close Trump ally atop an agency that has historically emphasized its independence from the White House.
Trump has repeatedly signaled a desire to direct the Justice Department toward investigations of his political adversaries, a stated aim that critics argue threatens longstanding norms of prosecutorial independence. Supporters counter that Blanche’s experience as a former federal prosecutor qualifies him for the role.
The confirmation vote came as senators deferred action on the president’s voting legislation until after the congressional recess. With Blanche now formally in place, attention turns to how the department will proceed on the pending settlement matters and the broader enforcement priorities set out by the administration.