Todd Blanche Confirmed as Attorney General After Concessions Secure Narrow Senate Vote
Todd Blanche was confirmed as U.S. attorney general in a 50–49 Senate vote Saturday, securing permanent control of the Justice Department after making concessions that helped preserve enough Republican support to survive bipartisan opposition.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Democrats in voting against Blanche. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana backed him after Blanche agreed to abandon or narrow disputed Trump-related arrangements, including a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and tax audit protections involving Trump and his family, according to AP and Reuters.
The confirmation carries unusual stakes because Blanche previously represented Trump and had already been serving as acting attorney general. He now leads the nation’s top law enforcement agency at a time when lawmakers from both parties have questioned whether the Justice Department will act independently from the White House.
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Murkowski said on X that the country needs an attorney general who can check the administration’s worst impulses, while Schumer said the confirmation would enable what he described as Trump’s corruption. Trump had not directly commented on Blanche’s confirmation as of The Guardian’s live coverage, but amplified a post referring to Murkowski as a traitor.
The plain-English consequence is this. Blanche got the job, but the vote exposed how narrow Republican support was and made his concessions central to judging his tenure.
The next test is whether those commitments hold once Blanche is no longer seeking Senate confirmation.
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