Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General in 50-49 Vote

The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as the 88th Attorney General of the United States in a narrow, party-line vote early Saturday, August 8, 2026. The final tally was 50-49, with two Republican senators breaking ranks to join all Democrats in opposition. The confirmation followed a late-night session that extended into the early morning hours, capping a contentious process for President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Justice.

Blanche, who previously served as Trump's personal defense lawyer, was confirmed after securing the support of key Republican holdouts. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who had previously criticized Trump and voted to convict him after the January 6 attack, made a last-minute decision to vote in favor. Cassidy argued on the Senate floor that a Senate-confirmed attorney general would be preferable to a placeholder acting official. "Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this," Cassidy said. "But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general, who may not run the department effectively under President Trump."

Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of...