About time!
President Donald Trump secured a major weekend victory Saturday after the Senate narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche as the permanent attorney general of the United States, ending a tense confirmation battle that had kept Washington guessing until the final vote.
Blanche was confirmed by a razor-thin 50-49 margin, giving Trump his preferred choice to permanently lead the Department of Justice.
The result was especially significant because Blanche’s nomination had faced resistance not only from Senate Democrats but also from several Republicans who raised concerns about controversial decisions made during his tenure as acting attorney general.
Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine ultimately joined Democrats in voting against Blanche.
Despite those defections, Trump and Senate Republicans assembled just enough support to get the nomination across the finish line.
For the White House, the Saturday vote represents an important victory as Trump continues putting his second-term leadership team in place.
Trump Gets His Pick to Lead the Justice Department
Blanche’s confirmation puts a longtime Trump ally permanently in charge of one of the most powerful departments in the federal government.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa made an aggressive case for Blanche before senators cast their votes.
Grassley pointed to Blanche’s professional experience, his performance at the Justice Department and his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee as evidence that he was qualified for the position.
The Iowa Republican said he believed Blanche had demonstrated that he could successfully lead the department and argued that confirming him would ultimately help protect the American public.
Grassley’s support was important, but Republican leaders still faced a difficult vote count.
For several weeks, Blanche’s nomination appeared vulnerable.
Controversies Complicated Blanche’s Confirmation
A number of politically sensitive issues created problems for Blanche as his nomination worked its way through the Senate.
Lawmakers from both parties questioned the Justice Department’s handling of records connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
There were also concerns surrounding a May 19 Justice Department action involving a reported $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund.
Another major point of contention involved provisions connected to the settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
Critics questioned whether the arrangement could potentially protect Trump, members of his family or related business interests from future IRS audits.
Those issues generated enough concern among Republican senators to put Blanche’s confirmation in jeopardy.
Blanche, who was serving as acting attorney general when the controversial action was approved, attempted to reassure senators during his July 15 appearance before the Judiciary Committee.
He said the proposed anti-weaponization fund was no longer moving forward.
For some Republicans, however, a verbal assurance was not enough.
Republican Senators Demand Answers
Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina sought written clarification regarding the fund and the provisions involving future IRS audits.
Their demands contributed to delays surrounding Blanche’s nomination and demonstrated that the White House could not simply assume every Republican senator would fall in line.
Blanche eventually overcame that hurdle.
Earlier in the week, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 to advance his nomination. The committee vote followed party lines, setting up Saturday’s dramatic showdown before the full Senate.
Even then, Blanche’s confirmation remained far from certain.
Murkowski and Collins Break With Trump
The math became particularly difficult because Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was absent.
That meant Blanche could withstand very few Republican defections.
Then came another setback.
Murkowski and Collins announced that they would vote against Trump’s nominee.
The two Republican senators pointed to concerns about the Epstein-related records, the IRS settlement and what they viewed as increasing political influence over the Justice Department.
Their opposition left Republican leaders with virtually no breathing room.
One additional Republican defection could have changed the outcome.
That put enormous attention on Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy.
Bill Cassidy Holds the Deciding Vote
Cassidy became one of the most important senators in Washington heading into the final vote.
His relationship with Trump made the situation even more noteworthy.
Cassidy voted to convict Trump during the Senate impeachment trial that followed the events of Jan. 6, 2021. More recently, Cassidy lost his Republican primary after Trump threw his support behind Cassidy’s opponent.
Given that history, there was no guarantee Cassidy would help rescue one of Trump’s most important nominees.
Cassidy also had serious criticisms of Blanche.
The Louisiana senator objected to Blanche’s role in approving the proposed anti-weaponization fund and questioned provisions involving Trump’s treatment by the IRS.
He additionally expressed concerns about allegations that the Justice Department had become increasingly involved in politically charged cases.
Despite those reservations, Cassidy ultimately decided to vote for Blanche.
That decision proved critical.
With Cassidy’s support, Republicans had enough votes to confirm Trump’s nominee.
Senate Hands Trump a Major Political Victory
The final 50-49 vote ended weeks of uncertainty and handed the president an important victory on Capitol Hill.
The outcome also demonstrated the narrow margins Republicans are dealing with in the Senate.
Although Trump maintains substantial influence within the Republican Party, the Blanche fight showed that Republican senators are still willing to challenge the administration on certain nominations and policy decisions.
Murkowski and Collins were prepared to oppose the White House outright, while other Republicans demanded additional assurances before agreeing to support Blanche.
In the end, however, Trump got the result he wanted.
Who Is Todd Blanche?
Blanche, 51, is a Colorado native with extensive experience as an attorney.
He became nationally known through his work as Trump’s personal lawyer before joining the president’s second administration.
Blanche initially served as deputy attorney general.
Trump elevated him to acting attorney general on April 2 after removing Pam Bondi from the position.
Saturday’s Senate vote now allows Blanche to drop the “acting” designation and permanently take control of the Justice Department.
That puts him in charge of an enormous federal law-enforcement operation with responsibility for the FBI, federal prosecutors and some of the country’s most consequential criminal and national security matters.
His decisions will almost certainly remain under intense scrutiny from Congress, the media and the American public.
Major Challenges Await Trump’s New Attorney General
Winning confirmation may have been difficult, but Blanche’s bigger challenge begins now.
The new attorney general will have to address concerns about political independence at the Justice Department while simultaneously advancing the administration’s law-enforcement priorities.
Questions surrounding the Epstein records are also unlikely to disappear simply because the confirmation fight has ended.
Republicans and Democrats alike have faced pressure from Americans demanding greater transparency regarding government records connected to Epstein and his associates.
Blanche will also face continued scrutiny over decisions involving allegations of government weaponization and the relationship between federal law enforcement and elected officials.
How he handles those controversies could shape public confidence in the Justice Department throughout Trump’s second term.
What Blanche’s Confirmation Means for Trump
For President Trump, the immediate significance is straightforward: he now has his preferred attorney general permanently in place.
That matters because the Justice Department is expected to play a central role in several major issues confronting the administration.
Immigration enforcement, violent crime, federal investigations, government accountability and politically sensitive cases are all likely to remain major subjects of debate.
The confirmation also gives Trump another opportunity to reshape the federal government according to the agenda voters sent him back to Washington to pursue.
At the same time, the extremely close Senate vote serves as a reminder that Republicans cannot afford many defections when controversial legislation or nominations reach the chamber.
Every vote can matter.
Saturday provided one of the clearest examples yet.
A Weekend Win for the Trump White House
After weeks of Republican uncertainty and Democratic opposition, Trump ultimately prevailed.
Blanche survived the Judiciary Committee, overcame concerns from several Republican senators and secured exactly enough support to become attorney general.
A single additional Republican defection could have produced a very different result.
Instead, the administration walked away from Saturday’s Senate showdown with an important victory.
The political battle over Blanche may be finished, but the debate over how he runs the Justice Department is only beginning.
With Trump now having his choice permanently installed at the top of the DOJ, Americans will be watching closely to see what changes come next.