President Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee, Todd Blanche, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate early Saturday, ending a monthslong stalemate following his nomination.
Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine joined all 47 Senate Democrats in opposing Blanche’s confirmation.
Blanche was confirmed 50-49, with Sen. Mitch McConnell absent.
Blanche’s confirmation remained in question until Friday morning, when Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana announced he would vote in favor of confirming him.
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Several key Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee delayed his nomination until earlier this week, largely because of concerns over a so-called “anti-weaponization fund.” The fund would have provided $1.8 billion to people who believed they were unfairly targeted by the Department of Justice. Critics said the fund could have allowed people who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to receive compensation, a claim the Trump administration has not disputed.
To help secure support for Blanche’s nomination, the Trump administration agreed to drop the fund. After the administration said it would no longer pursue the $1.8 billion proposal, Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas said they would support advancing Blanche’s nomination through the committee.
Blanche, who had been serving as acting attorney general after previously serving as Senate-confirmed deputy attorney general, needed a simple majority in the Senate to win confirmation.
“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.
Blanche has served as acting attorney general since April, when he replaced Pam Bondi after she faced bipartisan criticism over her performance, including her handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
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As Bondi’s deputy attorney general, Blanche acknowledged during his confirmation hearing that mistakes were made in releasing the Epstein files. However, he defended the Justice Department’s decision to redact information, saying the Trump administration had been more transparent than the Biden administration. Congress required the administration to release the files following a late-2025 vote.
Before joining the Trump administration, Blanche served as Trump’s personal attorney. He defended Trump in a 2024 New York case that resulted in Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
