Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., announced Wednesday that he will not vote to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General, a departure from his previous pattern of supporting some of President Donald Trump's nominees for Cabinet and Justice Department positions.
Fetterman's opposition to Blanche, Trump's choice for the nation's top law enforcement role, was stated during an appearance on comedian Jon Stewart's podcast. When asked about his voting record on Trump's nominees, Fetterman indicated that he had not voted for many of them and specifically stated his intention to oppose Blanche.
"And if you're going to bring up Blanche, I'm not going to vote for him as well. There are some that I would vote for, and then there are many that I haven't because I just don't believe that's the right person for the job overall," Fetterman told Stewart, adding, "I really try to call balls and strikes."
According to a review by Fox News Digital, Fetterman has supported half of Trump's Cabinet nominees. He was the sole Democrat to vote in favor of confirming Pam Bondi as Attorney General under the Trump administration and cast the decisive vote to advance Markwayne Mullin's nomination for Homeland Security secretary out of committee. Fetterman was also the only Democrat to vote for Mullin's final confirmation.
Blanche's nomination now faces a hurdle in the full Senate, with at least two votes publicly opposing him. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, announced Tuesday that she will vote against Blanche, citing actions that have "further eroded the department’s independence." Collins had previously voted to confirm Blanche as an assistant attorney general.
<![CDATA[IMAGE6]]>The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche's nomination to the full Senate on a party-line vote of 12-10. Senators John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., switched their votes to "yea" after Blanche agreed to cease pursuing a planned Anti-Weaponization Fund. Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, remain undecided.
<![CDATA[IMAGE7]]>The White House, the Department of Justice, and Fetterman's office were contacted for further comment.