Senate narrowly confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general in 50-49 vote

Coverage spread: 4 sources — 2 left · 1 center · 1 right

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Where they agree

The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in a 50-49 vote, with Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voting no alongside all Democrats.
Sen. Bill Cassidy’s support, announced Friday, was the decisive vote that secured confirmation.
Blanche’s nomination had faced resistance over a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” and a tax immunity deal for Trump and his family/businesses tied to a settled IRS lawsuit.
Sens. Cornyn and Tillis backed Blanche only after he put in writing that the fund would not proceed.

Where they differ

The New York Post focuses heavily on Trump’s angry, multi-post attack on Murkowski after the vote, including resurfacing her impeachment vote and a “traitor” repost.
The Guardian foregrounds Schumer’s sharp condemnation of the vote as enabling Trump’s “corruption,” giving Democratic reaction the most prominent play.
The Hill situates the confirmation as one item in a broader end-of-session Senate story, alongside a stopgap funding bill and a shelved budget resolution push, giving Blanche less standalone emphasis.
CBS News provides the most procedural detail on the vote mechanics (McConnell’s absence, committee negotiations) without featuring Trump’s or Schumer’s reactions.

The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche, President Trump’s former personal defense attorney, as U.S. attorney general early Saturday, August 8, 2026, in a 50-49 vote. Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined all Democrats in voting no, while Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana cast the deciding vote in favor after days of uncertainty.

How did the vote come together?

Blanche had been serving as acting attorney general since April, after Pam Bondi was removed from the post, and Trump announced in June he wanted Blanche installed permanently. His nomination stalled for weeks amid Republican unease over a Justice Department settlement that created a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” to pay people who claimed they were wronged by the federal government, plus a provision granting Trump, his family and his businesses broad immunity from IRS audits and investigations. The settlement resolved Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns.

Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina held out until Blanche put in writing, in a late-Sunday order, that the fund was dead and clarified the scope of the IRS deal — assurances experts called weak but that were enough to secure their votes and clear the Judiciary Committee. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was absent for the final vote, making Cassidy’s support decisive. Cassidy, defeated in his primary this summer after failing to win Trump’s endorsement, said on the Senate floor Friday that “the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche” but between Blanche and a less capable acting attorney general, citing Blanche’s work with U.S. attorneys in Louisiana.

Why did Murkowski and Collins vote no?

Murkowski said in a statement that “the country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration” but that she lacked confidence Blanche would do so, adding that politicization of the department “did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it.” She also warned on social media that the nearly $2 billion fund — which she said could have rewarded January 6 protesters — was only shelved because her vote gave the Senate leverage, and that “there is no telling what the future holds” once the confirmation vote was over. Collins voted no as well; she faces reelection in November.

How did Trump and the White House respond?

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the confirmation “a huge win for President Trump and our country” and predicted Blanche would be a “phenomenal” attorney general. Blanche, in a social media post, said he was “deeply honored” by Trump’s trust and thanked senators for the late-night vote. Trump himself turned on Murkowski afterward, posting three times about her, resurfacing her 2021 vote to convict him at his second impeachment trial, reposting a clip of former Attorney General Merrick Garland saying he personally approved the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search, and amplifying a post that called Murkowski a “traitor.”

What are Democrats saying?

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans had “handed Trump an excuse on a silver platter” to continue what he called “pervasive, breathtaking corruption.” He argued that installing a president’s own former defense lawyer as the nation’s top law enforcement officer undermines any claim to fighting corruption, and said every senator who backed Blanche had “branded themselves as an enabler.” All Democrats voted against the nomination.

What else happened the same night?

The confirmation came as the Senate wrapped up its work before a five-week August recess. Lawmakers also passed a stopgap bill funding the government through December 11 and set aside, for now, Trump’s push for a second budget resolution tied to a larger spending package.

Why this matters

Blanche’s rise from Trump’s personal lawyer — who defended him in the New York hush-money trial and the classified documents case — to attorney general puts a close Trump ally in charge of the Justice Department at a moment when critics say the agency has already been used to shield the president from legal and financial exposure. The fight over the anti-weaponization fund and the IRS immunity deal, even though nominally scrapped, remains a flashpoint for lawmakers who fear such arrangements could resurface once confirmation pressure eases.

Sources

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