The Senate on Saturday confirmed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement official in a narrow 50-49 vote, ending weeks of Republican holdouts and intense negotiations over Department of Justice policies.
Every Senate Democrat opposed the nomination, alongside two Republicans: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Blanche’s path to confirmation hung in the balance for weeks as Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina withheld support over a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization package. Cornyn and Tillis demanded that the Department of Justice provide written documentation proving the fund had been rescinded.
They also required the rewriting of language in an Internal Revenue Service settlement to ensure audit immunity for President Donald Trump and his family did not extend beyond the named plaintiffs.
Although the Justice Department submitted a proposal to Cornyn on July 27, Cornyn initially rejected it, stating his conditions had not been met. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley postponed a scheduled July 30 markup while negotiations continued. The panel ultimately advanced Blanche’s nomination in a 12-10 vote on Tuesday after Blanche released the requested documentation confirming the fund’s termination.
Tillis had also conditioned his vote on Blanche meeting with alleged victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Blanche met with several accusers at Justice Department headquarters in July to satisfy the requirement, though some participants later described the meeting as dismissive and unproductive.
Separately, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana remained undecided until announcing his support on the Senate floor Friday. Cassidy had met privately with Blanche on Wednesday after expressing concerns in a SiriusXM interview that Blanche might act as “Trump’s personal attorney who is now the attorney general.”
With Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona absent due to a family emergency, Blanche could afford to lose no more than two Republican votes to secure confirmation without former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell present.
Collins and Murkowski both cited concerns regarding the department’s independence in explaining their opposition. Both senators had previously voted to confirm former Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political,” Collins said in a Tuesday statement. “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 … More than 1,200 former Department of Justice employees have opposed his nomination, arguing that he has undermined the institution. For these reasons, I will vote against this nomination.”
Collins specifically pointed to the $1.8 billion fund, attempted indictments of Democratic Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Blanche’s commitment to prohibit the mailing of abortion pills.
Murkowski echoed similar criticisms on Thursday regarding the department’s direction.
“The politicization—even weaponization—of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it,” Murkowski said. “I take issue with the handling of the release of the Epstein files; the sweeping immunity protections granted to the President, his family, and their businesses; the statements that have been made to anti-abortion groups; and the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. Senators.”
Blanche had been serving as acting attorney general since April 2, following President Trump’s dismissal of former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
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