The United States Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in the early hours of Saturday morning, capping a turbulent confirmation battle that exposed deep divisions over the independence of the Justice Department. The Republican-led chamber voted 50–49 to install Blanche — President Donald Trump's former personal criminal defence lawyer — as the nation's top law enforcement official, giving the administration a significant victory after weeks of uncertainty.
Blanche had already been leading the Justice Department in an acting capacity since April, when Trump fired his predecessor, Pam Bondi, amid controversy over the handling of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Before joining the department as deputy attorney general under Bondi, Blanche had represented Trump in multiple criminal proceedings, including the New York hush money trial and two federal cases brought during the Biden administration — experience he has cited as evidence of what he calls the weaponisation of the justice system against Trump.
The path to confirmation was unusually difficult. Two Republican senators — Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, both known for independent streaks — joined every Democrat in opposing Blanche, leaving the deciding vote to Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Cassidy, who had voted to convict Trump during the 2021 impeachment proceedings and subsequently lost his primary race to a Trump-backed challenger, said he considered Blanche the best candidate the president was likely to put forward. "This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr Blanche in very specific circumstances," Cassidy said. The key sticking point for Republican holdouts was Blanche's creation of a controversial $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponisation Fund," intended to compensate people who claimed mistreatment by the justice system, but widely criticised as a potential reward for Trump allies, including some who participated in the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol. Blanche secured enough support only after formally rescinding the fund in writing and restricting a separate agreement that critics said could shield Trump and his family from IRS tax audits.
Murkowski said the country needed an attorney general who would "check the worst impulses of this administration," while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of handing Trump "an excuse on a silver platter" to continue what he called "pervasive, breathtaking corruption." Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, argued that confirming Blanche would be a "serious mistake," saying the moment demanded an attorney general "above reproach." By contrast, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, gave Blanche a full endorsement, saying he had led the department "with distinction."
The confirmation matters because the Justice Department has historically operated with a degree of independence from the White House — a norm that has been sharply contested during Trump's second term. Under Bondi and Blanche's interim leadership, the department pursued investigations of figures Trump views as enemies, including former FBI Director James Comey, who was indicted on charges his lawyers are seeking to have dismissed. Thousands of department employees have left through firings or resignations. Supporters argue Blanche's courtroom experience gives him credibility to explain legal constraints to the White House; critics remain unconvinced he will exercise that influence independently.