The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche as the nation’s 88th attorney general as part of an early morning, marathon voting session ahead of the chamber’s August recess on Saturday morning. The outcome followed an extended confirmation process that included delays in the Senate Judiciary Committee and opposition from two Republican senators on the floor.
Blanche, who previously served as a personal attorney for President Donald Trump, had been confirmed as deputy attorney general in March 2025. He assumed the role of acting attorney general on April 2, 2026, after Trump removed Pam Bondi from the position.
The president stated at the time that Bondi would transition to a private-sector role and that “our Deputy Attorney General, and a very talented and respected Legal Mind, Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General.” Trump later announced his intention to nominate Blanche permanently on June 3, and submitted the nomination on June 8.
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The nomination encountered obstacles in committee primarily related to a settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. That agreement had included a proposed approximately $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that sought to compensate victims of politically-motivated prosecutions under the Biden-led Department of Justice.
Republican Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and John Cornyn (R-TX), both of whom sit on the vital Senate Judiciary Committee, threatened to oppose the nomination in committee unless written assurances about shelving the weaponization fund were obtained. The holdouts led to an initial committee vote being cancelled, though a deal was ultimately reached to advance the nomination on August 4.
Blanche’s nomination faced additional opposition on the Senate floor, as Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) indicated that they would vote against. “The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration. I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case,” Murkowski said.
🚨 AWESOME! President Trump REFUSED to cave to the RINOs and has formally gotten Todd Blanche confirmed through the Senate as AG
He’s the man for the job!
“Todd Blanche, whose nomination once appeared to be doomed, is set to take the helm as the country’s top law enforcement… pic.twitter.com/TAZhq5HeEL
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 8, 2026
The opposition from two senators gave the nomination on a razor thin margin for error, as Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) remained unavailable following a medical emergency earlier this summer. Despite the intense confirmation process, Blanche’s nomination appeared destined for success by Friday afternoon, when Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) announced his support after initially being seen as a potential holdout.
“This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances,” Cassidy said. “The choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche; it is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general, who may not run the department effectively under President Trump, and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche.”
Following the Senate vote, Blanche thanked President Trump for his support. “I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me to lead the Department of Justice as our great nation’s 88th Attorney General. I am grateful to the Senate for staying late to complete this process. To the dedicated public servants of the Department of Justice, thank you for your work each day to uphold the law and keep our country safe. God bless America,” he said.
