The U.S. Senate has confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General, placing President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer at the helm of the Justice Department after a closely contested confirmation fight that exposed concerns over the department’s independence from the White House.
The Republican-led Senate voted 50-49 early Saturday to confirm Blanche, making him the second Attorney General confirmed since Trump returned to the White House last year. Two Republicans, Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined all Democrats in opposing his nomination.
Blanche had already been leading the Justice Department in an acting capacity after Trump removed Pam Bondi from the position in April. His confirmation now gives him the authority to serve permanently as the department’s top law enforcement official as the administration seeks to advance its legal and political priorities.
The vote followed weeks of uncertainty over Blanche’s nomination, particularly among Republican Senators who questioned his handling of a controversial settlement involving Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
The nomination appeared to be in jeopardy until Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana announced on Friday that he would support Blanche, providing the crucial vote needed for confirmation. Cassidy acknowledged Blanche’s close relationship with Trump but argued that his experience as the President’s former criminal defence lawyer could make him better positioned to manage the Justice Department under Trump’s administration. “This is not a referendum on President Trump,” Cassidy said, adding, “It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances.”
His support came after Blanche and the Justice Department agreed to abandon a controversial $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” created as part of a settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. The fund had become one of the biggest obstacles to Blanche’s confirmation.
Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had demanded written assurances that the fund would be permanently rescinded before supporting his nomination. Blanche subsequently issued a written order formally eliminating the fund and addressing concerns over provisions of the settlement that could have shielded Trump and members of his family from certain IRS audits.
The agreement helped secure enough Republican support for Blanche to move forward, although opposition within the party remained. Murkowski announced on Friday that she would vote against the nomination, saying the country needs an Attorney General capable of resisting inappropriate pressure from the administration. “The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,” Murkowski said.
Democrats argued throughout the confirmation process that Blanche’s close ties to Trump raised serious questions about whether he would maintain the Justice Department’s independence. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called Blanche’s confirmation a “serious mistake” and urged senators not to find themselves on the “wrong side” of history. “If there is ever a moment in history when we need an Attorney General above reproach, who is clearly dedicated to ending corruption, even at the highest level of our government, it’s right now,” Durbin said.
Blanche’s critics have pointed to his previous work as Trump’s criminal defence lawyer as evidence of the unusually close relationship between the President and the incoming Attorney General. Before joining the Justice Department, Blanche represented Trump in several major criminal cases, including the New York hush-money prosecution. He also defended Trump in two federal criminal cases brought during the Biden administration. Blanche has argued that those experiences gave him a firsthand understanding of what he describes as the misuse of the criminal justice system against Trump.
From Trump’s Lawyer to Justice Department Chief
Blanche joined the Justice Department last year as Deputy Attorney General under Bondi, where he was responsible for overseeing much of the department’s day-to-day operations. He also became a prominent public figure for the department while handling several politically sensitive matters, including the release of investigative files connected to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
After taking over as Acting Attorney General in April, Blanche moved quickly to implement aspects of Trump’s agenda, including investigations involving individuals viewed by the president as political opponents. His tenure has therefore raised broader questions about how the Justice Department will balance the administration’s priorities with its traditional role as an independent federal law enforcement institution.
Blanche’s confirmation marks a new phase in that debate. With the Senate vote behind him, he now has a permanent mandate to lead the department while working closely with a president who has repeatedly expressed a desire for greater control over federal law enforcement.
Following his confirmation, Blanche said he was “deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me” and thanked Senators who worked late to approve his nomination.
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