Todd Blanche has been confirmed as the nation's attorney general, replacing Pam Bondi following a late-Friday endorsement from Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. The confirmation occurred early Saturday morning as lawmakers rushed to conclude legislative business.
Blanche, who previously served as President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, faced significant Republican opposition due to his role in rolling out a nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund and an IRS audit immunity plan for the president and his family. Senators Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, joined all Senate Democrats in voting against his confirmation.
Murkowski cited concerns about Blanche's connection to the anti-weaponization fund, the potential for a weaponized Justice Department, his involvement in the Epstein Files release, and the uncertainty surrounding taxpayer dollars flowing to those involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. "The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration," Murkowski stated. "I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case."
Collins echoed concerns about the increasing politicization of the Department of Justice, stating that Blanche's actions had further eroded its independence. "While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political," Collins said. "Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation."
Cassidy, however, announced his support on the Senate floor, acknowledging that Blanche was not perfect but arguing that a confirmed attorney general was preferable to an acting one. "Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this," Cassidy said. "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."