Cassidy's support clears path for Blanche's confirmation as attorney general

Coverage spread: 6 sources — 3 left · 2 center · 1 right

Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.

Where they agree

Cassidy’s announcement that he would vote yes gave Blanche the 50 votes needed for confirmation, with Collins and Murkowski opposed and McConnell absent.
Murkowski’s central objection was the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, which she said could still be revived after confirmation despite Blanche’s written assurances it was dead.
Cornyn and Tillis dropped their objections to advance Blanche’s nomination out of committee after getting written confirmation the fund was scrapped.
Cassidy explicitly said his vote was not an endorsement of Trump but a practical choice between Blanche and an uncertain acting attorney general.

Where they differ

CNBC and NPR give the most detail on Murkowski’s stated reasoning, including her quote about DOJ “politicization—even weaponization” and lost Senate leverage.
The Guardian and NPR emphasize Trump’s personal attacks on Murkowski and Cassidy, including his Punchbowl News comments about their impeachment votes, while CBS and the New York Post focus more narrowly on the vote count mechanics.
CNBC includes more color on Cassidy’s emotional floor speech and his rationale about prosecutors vouching for Blanche’s competence, details largely absent from the New York Post’s shorter account.
The New York Post highlights Cassidy’s criticism of Blanche’s “poor judgment” more prominently, while CBS and The Hill frame his speech mainly as clearing the confirmation path.

Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said Friday he will vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, providing the decisive vote needed after two other Republican senators announced they would oppose the nomination. With Cassidy’s support, Blanche appears to have exactly the 50 votes needed to be confirmed, given the Senate’s 53-47 GOP majority, Sen. Mitch McConnell’s absence, and defections from two other Republicans.

Who opposed Blanche, and why?

Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska both announced they would vote against Blanche. Murkowski, who made her opposition public Friday morning, cited concerns about “sweeping immunity protections” granted to President Trump and what she called the “politicization—even weaponization” of the Justice Department. She also pointed to the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that had been set up as part of a settlement in Trump’s lawsuit over the leak of his tax records — a fund critics warned could pay out money to people convicted of assaulting police during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Murkowski said the Senate’s only real leverage over that fund comes from Blanche’s pending nomination, and that leverage disappears once he’s confirmed, regardless of the written assurances he’s given. Collins cited broader concerns about the department’s independence.

What did Blanche do to try to win over holdouts?

Blanche worked to address GOP concerns directly, including traveling to Alaska to meet with local and tribal leaders in an effort to reassure Murkowski. Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who had initially blocked a Senate Judiciary Committee vote, dropped their objections after Blanche gave written confirmation on August 2 that the anti-weaponization fund was dead. He followed that with a formal order late the following Sunday declaring “beyond any doubt” that no such fund exists, and he also clarified the scope of an agreement shielding Trump and his family from certain tax audits. That was enough to get Blanche through the Judiciary Committee on a 12-10 vote.

Why was Cassidy the deciding vote?

Cassidy was the last undecided Republican, and with McConnell out recovering from a hospitalization and Collins and Murkowski both opposed, Blanche could not afford to lose Cassidy without the nomination collapsing. In a Senate floor speech, Cassidy acknowledged real reservations — he said Blanche had shown “poor judgment” in approving the anti-weaponization fund and the IRS audit exemption, and in allowing the department to pursue the president’s political opponents. But he argued the real choice wasn’t between Blanche and an ideal nominee; it was between Blanche and an unconfirmed acting attorney general who might run the department less effectively. He said blocking Blanche risked undermining progress on violent crime, trafficking and fraud enforcement, and insisted his vote was “not a referendum on President Trump” but a decision about Blanche “in very specific circumstances.” Cassidy also said he’d consulted current and former prosecutors who told him Blanche knew the law and was a hands-on manager, even if they had criticisms. He appeared emotional as he closed, saying he expected to be criticized for the vote but had worked hard to reach the right decision.

What’s the political backstory between Trump and these senators?

Cassidy and Murkowski were both among the seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump at his second impeachment trial in February 2021 over the Capitol riot. Cassidy lost his Republican primary in May after Trump backed a challenger, Rep. Julia Letlow, making him a lame-duck senator. Trump has openly clashed with both senators; in comments to Punchbowl News, he said he was “against” Murkowski and suggested his “beautiful MAGA base” would not be happy if he supported someone who had voted to impeach him. He also said anyone voting against Blanche would be doing the country “a great disservice.”

What happens next?

The Senate was working through a list of priorities Friday before leaving for a five-week August recess, but it remained unclear whether a floor vote on Blanche would happen before senators left town, since an accelerated timeline would require Democratic cooperation. All Democrats are expected to oppose Blanche. Democrats have argued that Blanche’s written order rescinding the fund isn’t a permanent fix and have called for legislation to bar it outright, since a future administration could revive it. Blanche, who has served as Trump’s personal defense attorney and has been acting attorney general since Pam Bondi’s ouster in April, can continue serving in that acting capacity indefinitely even if confirmation is delayed.

Sources

Featured photo: BruceSchaff via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Cassidy’s support clears path for Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general