Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general
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The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General in a pre-dawn vote Saturday, marking the end of a contentious confirmation process for President Trump's former personal attorney. The vote was split 50-49, with all Democrats and two Republican senators voting against the nomination.
Todd Blanche, Trump's attorney general pick, confirmed by Senate
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4 hours ago - Politics & Policy
Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general
* Avery Lotz
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!Todd Blanche, a man in a dark suit and orange tie with a small American flag lapel pin, raises his right hand in a ceremonial oath.
*Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is sworn in at his confirmation hearing on July 15 in Washington, DC. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images*
The Senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche as the next attorney general early Saturday, cappinga tumultuous path to office for President Trump's former personal attorney.
**The big picture:** Blanche's appointment is a win for the Trump administration, especially after a journey that saw some Republicans hold out at multiple stages of the process.
* At one point Trump threatened to keep him as acting attorney general for months, after two GOP senators withheld their votes to advance him from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
* Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) both eventually supported Blanche's advancement after Blanche confirmed that a controversial $1.776 billion fund to pay out perceived victims of political weaponization was dead.
**Driving the news:** The pre-dawn vote was split 50-49, mostly along party lines.
* Every Democratic member present voted against the Trump nominee, joined by GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine). Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was not present amid a lengthy health-related absence.
* Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) was broadly seen as Democrats' best shot at blocking Blanche's nomination, but he announced Friday that he'd vote in favor of the president's former personal attorney.
* Blanche has been serving in the role in an acting capacity since this spring.
**State of play:** Blanche will now formally take over the post held by Pam Bondi before she was pushed out.
* With Blanche as acting attorney general, the DOJ has continued its unconventionally close alignment with the White House, renewing attempts to prosecute individuals in line with the president's wishes.
**Friction point:** While Blanche won over Republican defectors on the controversial fund, he's continued to face sharp criticism from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein — stemming from another controversy that threatened to derail his nomination.
* Tillis had given Blanche another mandate to earn his vote: meeting with Epstein victims. Blanche did so, but multiple survivors publicly panned the meeting as demoralizing and unproductive.
**The bottom line:** Not much changes with "acting" dropped from Blanche's title. But his confirmation represents the official start of an aggressive new era for the DOJ.
**Go deeper:** Blanche poised for confirmation vote after he kills Trump's fund
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4 hours ago - Politics & Policy
Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general
* Avery Lotz
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!Todd Blanche, a man in a dark suit and orange tie with a small American flag lapel pin, raises his right hand in a ceremonial oath.
*Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is sworn in at his confirmation hearing on July 15 in Washington, DC. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images*
The Senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche as the next attorney general early Saturday, cappinga tumultuous path to office for President Trump's former personal attorney.
**The big picture:** Blanche's appointment is a win for the Trump administration, especially after a journey that saw some Republicans hold out at multiple stages of the process.
* At one point Trump threatened to keep him as acting attorney general for months, after two GOP senators withheld their votes to advance him from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
* Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) both eventually supported Blanche's advancement after Blanche confirmed that a controversial $1.776 billion fund to pay out perceived victims of political weaponization was dead.
**Driving the news:** The pre-dawn vote was split 50-49, mostly along party lines.
* Every Democratic member present voted against the Trump nominee, joined by GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine). Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was not present amid a lengthy health-related absence.
* Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) was broadly seen as Democrats' best shot at blocking Blanche's nomination, but he announced Friday that he'd vote in favor of the president's former personal attorney.
* Blanche has been serving in the role in an acting capacity since this spring.
**State of play:** Blanche will now formally take over the post held by Pam Bondi before she was pushed out.
* With Blanche as acting attorney general, the DOJ has continued its unconventionally close alignment with the White House, renewing attempts to prosecute individuals in line with the president's wishes.
**Friction point:** While Blanche won over Republican defectors on the controversial fund, he's continued to face sharp criticism from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein — stemming from another controversy that threatened to derail his nomination.
* Tillis had given Blanche another mandate to earn his vote: meeting with Epstein victims. Blanche did so, but multiple survivors publicly panned the meeting as demoralizing and unproductive.
**The bottom line:** Not much changes with "acting" dropped from Blanche's title. But his confirmation represents the official start of an aggressive new era for the DOJ.
**Go deeper:** Blanche poised for confirmation vote after he kills Trump's fund
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What to read next
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* Contact us
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Axios Media Inc., 2026
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Tags:#الولايات المتحدة#وزارة العدل#تود بلانش#ترامب#مجلس الشيوخ
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