Todd Blanche confirmed as U.S. attorney general by narrow Senate vote

Todd Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general since April, was confirmed as the United States attorney general after a 50-49 Senate vote. The decisive vote came from Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who said he believed Blanche was the best candidate the president could offer.

Two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, joined all Democrats in opposing the nomination. Murkowski cited a lack of confidence in Blanche’s ability to restrain what she described as the "worst impulses" of the administration and warned against the politicisation of the Justice Department. Collins expressed concerns about Blanche’s role in settling a $10 billion lawsuit with the Internal Revenue Service.

Republican critics also raised questions about Blanche’s handling of the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and his involvement in a proposed $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate individuals claiming government persecution. Murkowski and others feared the fund could benefit those prosecuted for the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Blanche later pledged to withdraw the fund, though the legal binding of that commitment remains unclear.

After the vote, Blanche said he was "deeply honoured by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me." Cassidy added that the confirmation would give Blanche greater leverage to pursue the administration’s agenda, while emphasizing that the vote was not a referendum on President Trump.