Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general after weeks of uncertainty

The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general early Saturday in a mostly party-line vote, capping off weeks of uncertainty and despite bipartisan concerns about his ability to run a Justice Department independent of President Donald Trump’s impulses.

The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general early Saturday in a mostly party-line vote, capping off weeks of uncertainty and despite bipartisan concerns about his ability to run a Justice Department independent of President Donald Trump’s impulses.

Blanche, who was formerly Trump’s personal attorney, was confirmed by a vote of 50-49, with only two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voting against him along with all Democrats.

The vote was held after 4 a.m. on Saturday, as a late-night session ran over into the early hours ahead of a planned Senate recess.

“I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me to lead the Department of Justice as our great nation’s 88th Attorney General,” Blanche said in a post on X, adding: “I am grateful to the Senate for staying late to complete this process.”

His confirmation had been in jeopardy, largely over concerns about his handling of the so-called anti-weaponization fund, which was established in connection with a purported settlement between private citizen Trump and the federal government he now controls. That fund could have been used to give money to Trump allies who claimed they were victims of government overreach, including people who were charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Blanche had also signed off on another part of the deal that gave Trump, his family members and his businesses immunity from tax audits.