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Blanche confirmed 50-49
The U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in an overnight vote early Saturday, cementing his permanent command of the Department of Justice after he had been leading it in an acting capacity since April.
“The Republican-led Senate voted 50-49 to make Blanche the second confirmed attorney general”
The confirmation came by a 50-49 vote, with all Democrats opposing and Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining them, while Bill Cassidy cast the deciding vote.
Blanche said on social media that he was “deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me,” and the vote followed a fight centered on a controversial settlement involving an “anti-weaponization” fund and tax audit immunity.
The Senate vote capped a standoff in which Blanche publicly promised in writing that the department would abandon Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund for the president’s allies, including those who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and rein in another piece of the settlement designed to shield Trump and his family from IRS tax audits.
CNN described the confirmation as formalizing what had already been the case internally, saying Blanche had been instrumental in reshaping the department in Trump’s image and that the Justice Department had brought indictments against political figures including former FBI Director James Comey.
Schumer calls it corruption
After the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans had handed Trump “an excuse on a silver platter” to continue “pervasive, breathtaking corruption,” and he argued that Democrats would keep resisting what he called an “assault on the rule of law.”
Schumer wrote on X that “If you want to wipe out corruption, you can’t have the president’s personal attorney as the attorney general,” framing Blanche’s confirmation as enabling Trump’s agenda.
Democrats also attacked Blanche’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, with The Hill reporting that survivors surged to the Senate vote against Blanche’s nomination over frustration with how the DOJ handled victim privacy concerns during the release of the Epstein files.
The Hill quoted New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján saying, “The survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific crimes deserve transparency and accountability, not continued efforts to withhold information or shield those in positions of power,” and it added that he voted NO.
Republicans who supported the nomination quickly celebrated, and the BBC reported that Sen. Bill Cassidy said, “This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr Blanche, in very specific circumstances,” while CNN said Blanche’s confirmation gave him permanent authority over the Justice Department’s direction.
What changes next
The confirmation gives Blanche a permanent role at the top of the Justice Department, after Trump fired Pam Bondi in April and Blanche moved to advance the president’s interests, including announcing a settlement that created the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”
“the order establishing the Anti-Weaponization Fund "is rescinded and shall have no force or effect"”
The NPR account said Blanche cleared hurdles after securing written assurances that the order establishing the Anti-Weaponization Fund “is rescinded and shall have no force or effect,” and it described how written statements also narrowed tax audit protections to Trump, two of his sons, and the Trump Organization.
NPR quoted legal skepticism about enforceability, including Brandon DeBot’s warning that “These assurances are not worth the paper they’re written on,” and it said the statements had not been signed by all parties to the settlement, including Trump himself.
The stakes for Blanche’s agenda also include the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein-related documents, with The Hill reporting that Jacky Rosen accused Blanche of a “complete and total mishandling of the Epstein files,” and it said survivors cited the DOJ’s redactions and victim privacy concerns.
In parallel, the BBC reported that Murkowski cited her lack of confidence in Blanche to “check the worst impulses of this administration,” while Collins said she raised concerns about Blanche’s role in settling Trump’s $10bn lawsuit with the IRS even as she said she ultimately trusted Blanche to give the president candid legal advice.
