Trump’s ex-lawyer Todd Blanche narrowly confirmed as US attorney general
Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, has been confirmed as US attorney general by a 50–49 Senate vote, ending a prolonged dispute over his nomination. The narrow result matters because the attorney general leads the Justice Department, while opponents questioned whether Blanche would act independently of the president.
Two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, joined Democrats in voting against him, leaving Senator Bill Cassidy to cast the decisive vote. Concerns included Blanche’s handling of Epstein-related documents and a proposed $1.8bn (£1.3bn) fund for people alleging government persecution, which critics feared could benefit some Capitol riot defendants; Blanche said he would withdraw the plan. Cassidy said confirmation could give Blanche greater scope to challenge policies within the administration, despite acknowledging Trump’s influence over the department.
- Blanche was confirmed attorney general by a single Senate vote.
- Republicans split over concerns about Justice Department politicisation.
- He pledged to abandon a disputed compensation fund.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that Todd Blanche’s extensive criminal-law experience, including high-profile defence work, equips him to oversee a complex justice system and to scrutinise prosecutions rigorously. They contend that a president is entitled to appoint trusted, qualified advisers who share his priorities on law enforcement, provided the Senate confirms them, and that prior representation of Trump does not by itself demonstrate an inability to act impartially.
The case against
Opponents argue that appointing a former personal criminal defence lawyer of the president to lead the nation’s law-enforcement apparatus creates an unusually serious appearance of conflicted loyalty. They maintain that the Justice Department’s credibility depends on visible independence from the White House, particularly where matters touching the president or his associates may arise, and that bipartisan caution is warranted even absent proof of actual misconduct.