Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana announced Friday that he will vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, providing the embattled nominee with the crucial support needed for confirmation. Blanche, who previously served as President Trump’s personal attorney and is currently acting as attorney general, requires at least 50 votes on the Senate floor following his clearance from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Cassidy’s backing proved pivotal after two other Republican senators declared their opposition to Blanche. Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska announced they would vote against the nominee, while Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky remained absent from the chamber. With Republicans controlling 53 seats, Cassidy’s support gives Blanche exactly the 50 votes needed to secure confirmation, assuming no additional Republican defections occur.
Blanche’s nomination faced resistance from some Republicans who raised concerns about politicization at the Justice Department. These concerns included the department’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein files and questions surrounding a controversial $1.8 billion fund related to a settlement in Trump’s tax records lawsuit. Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina ultimately agreed to support Blanche after he provided assurances that the fund had been rescinded and clarified agreements protecting Trump and his family from certain tax audits.
Despite expressing reservations about the current state of affairs, Cassidy argued that having a Senate-confirmed attorney general would provide greater institutional standing to resist presidential pressure compared to an acting appointee.
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