Sen. Bill Cassidy Defends Controversial Vote to Confirm Trump Ally Todd Blanche as Attorney General
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Senator Bill Cassidy justified his support for Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general in a CBS interview, downplaying widespread criticism and ignoring Blanche’s troubling ties to Trump and the weaponization of the Justice Department.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) attempted to rationalize his vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Aug. 9. Cassidy, whose record includes voting to impeach Trump, claimed the decision was not “black or white” and insisted on Blanche’s supposed ability to uphold the Constitution, while glossing over the existential anxiety many feel about the future of justice in America.
Cassidy’s vote became crucial after moderate Republicans Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Susan Collins courageously opposed Blanche, leaving the nominee reliant on the remaining Republican bloc. Blanche’s nomination has been rightfully criticized due to his prior work for disgraced President Donald Trump, including negotiating a settlement that handed Trump immunity and his involvement in a $1.8 billion fund, which many see as an effort to shield the Justice Department from accountability and further politicize it.
In his Senate floor speech, Cassidy acknowledged the backlash he would face, describing the decision-making process as intense. He even trivialized the moment by mentioning his wife’s view of his emotional displays as “endearing,” a tone-deaf comment given the gravity of the situation.
Cassidy, who lost his 2024 primary to a Trump-backed challenger, previously voted to impeach Trump in 2021. Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger and several Democrats condemned the confirmation, highlighting the ongoing crisis of integrity within the GOP.