Senate confirms Trump's former personal lawyer Todd Blanche as US attorney general in 50-49 vote

Narrow confirmation

The Republican-led US Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general on 8 August 2026 in a 50-to-49 vote held late on Friday night, local time. Two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, broke with their party to vote against the nomination. The decisive 50th vote came from Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who announced his support on Friday after multiple meetings and a phone call with Blanche the night before. Cassidy told the Senate he had weighed the arguments carefully before reaching his decision.

From personal lawyer to attorney general

Blanche is no stranger to the Justice Department. He served as deputy attorney general before taking over as acting head of the department in April 2026, after President Donald Trump dismissed former attorney general Pam Bondi amid criticism of her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal fallout. Before joining the administration, Blanche spent nearly a decade as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York and later worked in private law firms. Trump hired him as a personal attorney in 2023, and Blanche represented the president in three criminal proceedings, including the New York hush-money case involving payments to a porn actress.

Republican resistance and the fund dispute

Blanche's path to confirmation was rocky even within Trump's own party. Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had demanded that Blanche permanently withdraw plans for a compensation fund of roughly $1.8 billion for what the department called victims of politically motivated prosecution under the Biden government. The fund originated from a $10 billion lawsuit Trump filed against the US tax authority IRS. Critics, including some Republicans, saw it as a vehicle that could benefit Trump allies, including those convicted for the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack. Blanche secured the fund's end in writing, which allowed Cornyn and Tillis to drop their resistance.

Committee and floor votes

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the nomination on 4 August 2026 with a 12-to-10 vote along party lines, a step that became possible only after Cornyn and Tillis lifted their objections. The full Senate vote followed days of uncertainty, with the outcome hanging in the balance until Cassidy's announcement. The vote took place before the chamber departed for its summer recess.

Blanche's response

After the vote, Blanche posted on X early on Saturday morning, local time.

I feel deeply honored by the trust that President Trump has placed in me to lead the Justice Department. I thank the Senate for staying late into the night to complete this process.

The confirmation ends a weeks-long Senate dispute over one of the most contentious personnel decisions of Trump's second term, with the narrow margin reflecting persistent doubts within the Republican caucus about whether a former personal lawyer of the president can lead the Justice Department independently.