Senate narrowly confirms Todd Blanche as US Attorney General amid independence concerns

Todd Blanche has been confirmed as the US Attorney General in a razor-thin 50-49 Senate vote, concluding one of the most contentious cabinet confirmations of Donald Trump's second term. The nomination faced significant hurdles, with bipartisan concerns about Blanche's independence nearly derailing his appointment.

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Blanche won confirmation in a 50-49 vote, with Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski opposing him. Senator Bill Cassidy was the deciding vote.

Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski opposed Blanche's confirmation. Senator Bill Cassidy cast the deciding vote, stating he believed Blanche was the best option Trump would present. The confirmation followed weeks of standoff between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration. Blanche has served as acting attorney general since April and previously managed daily Justice Department operations.

Concerns raised by Republican senators centered on Blanche's management of the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Additionally, his involvement in establishing Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund and a related tax-immunity agreement for Trump and his sons drew criticism. Critics labeled the fund a "slush fund" for Trump allies, including those involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.

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Blanche overcame those challenges in frantic meetings around Capitol Hill over the last several weeks, ultimately agreeing in writing to narrow the tax-immunity agreement and end the "weaponization" payments, which critics have called a slush fund for Trump's allies, including those who rioted at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Blanche addressed these challenges through intense negotiations, agreeing in writing to scale back the tax-immunity agreement and cease the "weaponization" payments. The tax-immunity agreement had prevented the IRS from auditing past returns of Trump, his sons, and their family business, stemming from Trump's lawsuit against the IRS. Despite these concessions, questions persist regarding the legal enforceability of these commitments and whether Trump might later pressure Blanche, his former personal attorney, to reinstate similar programs.

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Questions remain, though, about whether that commitment is legally binding, and whether Trump, who has said he loves the idea of the fund, could later press Blanche, his former personal attorney, to revive a similar program under another name.