Senate Narrowly Confirms Trump's Former Personal Lawyer Todd Blanche as Attorney General

The United States Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as the 88th Attorney General early Saturday morning, formally installing President Donald Trump’s former personal criminal defense attorney at the head of the Department of Justice.[1][2]

The pre-dawn vote concluded a tumultuous confirmation battle that tested the limits of Republican loyalty and raised fundamental questions about the historical independence of federal law enforcement.[2]

Blanche narrowly won approval in a 50-49 vote that fell almost entirely along party lines.[1]

Two moderate Republicans, Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined every voting Democrat in opposing the nomination.[1][2]

With Senator Mitch McConnell absent due to a prolonged health-related absence, the math left Blanche with no room for further defections.[1][3]

Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana provided the decisive 50th vote, clearing Blanche’s path just hours before the chamber adjourned for a five-week recess.[2]

Blanche has already been managing the Justice Department in an acting capacity since April, following a sudden leadership shakeup.[1][3]

President Trump removed former Attorney General Pam Bondi from the post earlier this spring, reportedly frustrated by her failure to secure criminal indictments against his political opponents.[4]

Upon taking the acting role, Blanche immediately accelerated investigations into the administration's political rivals and progressive organizations, publicly asserting that the president has a "duty" to order the Justice Department to investigate his enemies.[4]

Despite his swift alignment with the White House's agenda, Blanche's path to permanent confirmation hit a severe roadblock in the Senate Judiciary Committee over a highly unusual civil settlement.[1][3]

In May, the Justice Department reached an agreement to resolve a $10 billion civil lawsuit filed by Trump against the Internal Revenue Service over the previous leak of his tax returns.[1][4]

The settlement included the creation of a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund, designed to provide federal payouts to individuals who alleged they were victims of politically motivated government prosecutions.[1]

It also granted sweeping immunity from future IRS audits to the president, his two eldest sons, and the Trump Organization.[4]

Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina balked at the arrangement, withholding their committee votes and effectively freezing the nomination.[3][4]

To salvage his confirmation, Blanche issued an order late Sunday rescinding the directive that established the $1.8 billion compensation fund, assuring the holdouts that the payouts were dead.[1][3]

However, the broader settlement remains intact, meaning the Trump family retains its negotiated protection from federal tax audits.[4]

Beyond the financial settlement, Blanche's tenure as acting attorney general has been defined by aggressive litigation regarding election administration ahead of the 2026 midterms.[4]

Under his direction, the Justice Department has defended a controversial executive order instructing the U.S. Postal Service to only deliver mail-in ballots to voters who have been pre-approved by the federal government.[4]

The department recently asked the Supreme Court to lift a lower court injunction that currently blocks the postal directive, setting up a high-stakes legal showdown over voting access.[4]

During his confirmation hearings, Blanche also declined to explicitly rule out deploying federal immigration agents or military troops to polling places, though he pledged to follow existing federal laws that generally bar armed officials from voting sites.[4]

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the confirmation, arguing that Republicans had handed the president an excuse to continue "pervasive, breathtaking corruption" by placing his personal lawyer in charge of federal law enforcement.

Cassidy, defending his decisive vote, acknowledged the nominee's flaws but argued that confirming Blanche was safer than leaving the department in the hands of an unconfirmed acting official who might be even more unpredictable.

The White House celebrated the outcome, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling it a "huge win" and promising that Blanche would demonstrate an "unwavering commitment to law and order."[1]