U.S. Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General After 50-49 Vote

Blanche confirmed Saturday

The U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general on Saturday, approving the nomination by a vote of 50 to 49 after Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined Democrats in opposing it.

CNN said Blanche, 52, will permanently act as the nation’s top law enforcement officer under the leadership of his former client, Donald Trump.

The Senate’s approval came after a narrow battle over Blanche’s independence nearly caused the nomination to fail, with Sky News Arabia describing concerns from members of both parties.

Sky News Arabia also said the vote “cementing the former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump’s control over the Justice Department,” which the Republican president sought to bend to his will.

Reporting for this sectionCNN

Epstein aftermath and objections

Democracy Now! reported that Lisa Murkowski announced she would vote against Blanche, saying she disagreed with “the way the disclosure of the Epstein files was handled.” Democracy Now! added that Murkowski also cited “the broad immunity protections granted to the president, his family, and his businesses” and “the ongoing pursuit of people ranging from former government officials to sitting U.S. senators.”

CNN described the Epstein files aftermath as a “volatile saga,” saying former Attorney General Pam Bondi was sent into a weekslong media lockdown for repeatedly bungling her television appearances discussing the Epstein matter. CNN said Blanche took her place and, “according to Bondi, continued to manage the crisis by himself,” while sources told CNN he would use a similar strategy after official confirmation.

Reporting for this sectionDemocracy Now!CNN

Justice Department reshaped

Multiple outlets tied Blanche’s confirmation to a Justice Department already being reshaped in Trump’s image, with CNN saying he “has been instrumental in reshaping the department in the president’s image.” CNN said that in the few months since he was appointed acting attorney general, the Justice Department brought indictments against political figures including former FBI Director James Comey, issued subpoenas seeking to identify journalists’ sources, created and then abandoned an anti-weaponization fund, and approved a tax immunity deal between the president and the Internal Revenue Service.

The other account in the sources framed the same shift as a move to pursue the president’s agenda with greater vigor, with Sky News Arabia saying Blanche’s confirmation could free him to pursue “the Trump administration’s agenda with greater vigor.” CNN also said sources told CNN Blanche will bring cases that highlight what the president claims were instances of Justice Department “weaponization” against him, his allies and supporters, and push forward other administration priorities like hardline immigration cases and a crackdown on fraud involving government programs.

Reporting for this sectionCNN