Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said she would oppose Todd Blanche’s nomination to become US attorney general, further complicating President Trump’s effort to secure his confirmation. Her decision mattered because Democrats were expected to vote against Blanche, leaving the administration with little room for further Republican defections and raising the prospect of a continued delay.

Murkowski said the country needed an attorney general able to restrain the administration’s “worst impulses”, despite acknowledging some of Blanche’s work as acting attorney general. The nomination had already been held up by Republican concerns over a proposed Justice Department fund linked to Trump’s dispute with the IRS, while Blanche also faced criticism over the handling of Epstein-related files and questions about the department’s independence.