Topline
Todd Blanche was confirmed as President Donald Trump’s Attorney General in an overnight vote after Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., switched to a “yes” and gave Blanche the last vote he needed for a 50-49 confirmation.
Key Facts
Cassidy said in a floor speech Friday “Blanche is not perfect, but the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump, and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche.”
Cassidy’s decision comes after Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced earlier Friday she would vote against Blanche because she can’t trust him to “check the worst impulses of this administration,” noting several Justice Department decisions she has opposed during Trump’s second term, including its handling of the Epstein files, the targeting of Trump’s political enemies and immunity granted to Trump and his family.
Republicans Murkowski and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, as well as all Democrats, voted against Blanch’s nomination (Sen. Mitch McConnell’s, R-Ky., is still absent from the Senate).
crucial quote
“I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me to lead the Department of Justice as our great nation’s 88th Attorney General,” Blanche said in a post on X early Saturday. “
I am grateful to the Senate for staying late to complete this process.
To the dedicated public servants of the Department of Justice, thank you for your work each day to uphold the law and keep our country safe.
God bless America.”
Key Background
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to advance Blanche’s nomination after Blanche agreed to formally kill the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund for Trump’s allies in an agreement to secure votes from two GOP holdouts, Sens. John Cornyn, Texas, and Thom Tillis, N.C., Despite Blanche’s assurances, there are concerns the fund could be revived since Trump didn’t sign an agreement to modify his settlement with the IRS that established the fund. Collins said Tuesday she would vote against Blanche, citing the IRS settlement and his opposition to restrict mail delivery of abortion pills. Blanche, who was appointed to replace Pam Bondi after Trump fired her in April, can continue serving as interim attorney general while his nomination is pending.
further reading
Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Todd Blanche As AG After Initial Delay (Forbes)