Todd Blanche, a former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, has been confirmed as the United States Attorney General. The Senate approved his nomination in a narrow 50-49 vote, with Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski opposing.
Senator Bill Cassidy cast the deciding vote, stating his belief that Blanche was the best candidate the president would put forward. Cassidy's decision came after a period of scrutiny, given past tensions between him and Trump. Blanche had been serving as acting attorney general since April.
All Democratic senators voted against Blanche's nomination to lead the Justice Department. Some Republican senators had voiced concerns regarding his handling of the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and his role in establishing Trump's proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund. Critics, including Senator Murkowski, had feared this fund could be used to compensate individuals involved in the January 6 attack on Congress. Blanche pledged during his confirmation hearings to abandon the fund following backlash from Republican senators.
It remains uncertain whether this commitment is legally binding or if a similar initiative could be revived under a different name. Senators Collins and Murkowski cited their reservations, with Murkowski expressing a lack of confidence in Blanche's ability to "check the worst impulses of this administration" and citing concerns over the "politicisation" of the Justice Department.