- Blanche has been confirmed as the new US attorney general by a 50-49 Senate vote.
- His confirmation followed weeks of resistance from some Republican senators over his record and proposed policies.
- Blanche, a former personal lawyer to Trump, will now formally lead the Justice Department
Todd Blanche, a former personal attorney to US President Donald Trump, has been confirmed as the new US attorney general, placing him in charge of the country’s Justice Department and its top law enforcement responsibilities.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the Senate approved Blanche’s nomination by a narrow 50-49 vote on Friday. Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined Democrats in rejecting his confirmation, while Senator Bill Cassidy provided the crucial Republican vote in his favour.
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Cassidy said he decided to support Blanche after concluding that he was the strongest candidate Trump was likely to nominate for the position. His decision had been closely watched because of his previously strained relationship with the president.
The confirmation ends a prolonged dispute between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration over Blanche, who had been serving as acting attorney general since April.
Blanche became acting head of the Justice Department after Pam Bondi was removed from the position. He had previously served as deputy attorney general.
His nomination faced opposition from some Republican lawmakers over several controversial issues, including his handling of documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein and his involvement in a proposed $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate people who claimed they had been unfairly targeted by the government.
Critics, including Murkowski, feared the proposed fund could benefit individuals prosecuted over the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. Blanche later agreed to abandon the initiative following strong opposition from Republican senators during his confirmation hearings.
However, questions remain over whether his pledge permanently prevents the scheme from being revived under a different arrangement.
Murkowski said she could not support Blanche because she lacked confidence that he would resist what she described as the administration’s most troubling impulses. She also cited concerns about the increasing politicisation of the Justice Department.
Collins raised separate concerns about Blanche’s involvement in the settlement of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. Despite those reservations, she ultimately voted against his confirmation.
Cassidy, meanwhile, said he believed Blanche’s confirmation would give him greater authority to provide Trump with independent legal advice and challenge policies when necessary.
“This is not a referendum on President Trump,” Cassidy said, explaining that his decision was based on his assessment of Blanche and the responsibilities attached to the office.
Cassidy also said he did not want political disagreements to interfere with the Justice Department’s efforts to combat violent crime.
The senator has previously clashed with Trump. During Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021, Cassidy voted to convict the president over the January 6 Capitol riot. Trump later supported a primary challenger to Cassidy after returning to the White House.
With his Senate confirmation secured, Blanche now formally takes charge of the Justice Department as the nation’s top law enforcement official.
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