US Senate confirms Trump lawyer Todd Blanche as new Attorney General

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Todd Blanche, a former personal lawyer for ex-President Donald Trump, as the nation's new Attorney General. The confirmation came on August 8th after a close vote of 50-49, overcoming reservations within the Republican ranks.

Two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, joined Democrats in voting against Blanche's nomination. They expressed concerns that he would politicize the Department of Justice. Blanche's confirmation followed his participation in the U.S. delegation at the inauguration ceremony of Abelardo De la Espriella as Colombia's new president.

Blanche, who had been serving as interim Attorney General since April following the dismissal of Pam Bondi, had previously announced the creation of a $1.8 billion fund. This fund was intended to compensate individuals allegedly subjected to unfair judicial persecution during President Joe Biden's administration (2021-2025), including those involved in the January 6th Capitol attack. The fund, however, was suspended by the courts.

To advance his confirmation, Blanche formally withdrew the fund on August 3rd. This action was necessary after Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis blocked his nomination. Born in Denver, Colorado, in 1974, Blanche built a career as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York before becoming a defense attorney in high-profile cases. He notably led Trump's defense in the New York trial concerning hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election campaign. He was also part of Trump's legal team for cases involving the handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

“

The United States delegation led by the new Attorney General, Todd Blanche, participated in the inauguration ceremony of Abelardo De la Espriella as the new president of Colombia.