Trump appoints his personal lawyer as the US Attorney General

Todd Blanche, former personal lawyer to US President Donald Trump, has been confirmed by the Senate with a narrow vote margin for the position of Attorney General, the country's chief law enforcement officer. In the late-night Senate vote, he received 50 votes in favor and 49 against, according to reports.

The long-standing conflict between the Trump administration and Republican members of the Senate regarding Blanche's appointment, who had been serving as acting Attorney General since last April, ended with this decision.

In this vote, in addition to all Democratic senators, Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski also voted against Blanche's appointment. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana cast the winning decisive vote, and due to the controversial relationship between Cassidy and Trump that had lasted for years, attention in Washington's political sphere was heavily focused on him. Blanche stated in a statement after the vote that he was deeply honored by this appointment made by President Trump, placing his trust in him.

Before the vote, some Republican senators had expressed their concerns about several issues regarding Blanche. The manner in which documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's connections were handled and his contribution to establishing Trump's $1.8 billion (£1.3 billion) "anti-weaponisation" fund were prominent among these. Although this fund was designed to compensate individuals who claim to have suffered government oppression, critics, including Murkowski, feared that individuals involved in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol would also benefit from it. Faced with strong criticism during the Senate confirmation hearings, Blanche ultimately agreed to back down from implementing that fund. However, it is still unclear whether that promise is legally binding or if Trump might persuade Blanche to bring a similar proposal forward again under a different name.

Based on suspicions regarding the use of the justice position for political matters, Senator Murkowski announced on Friday that she would oppose Blanche. She stated that she had no confidence in Blanche's ability to control the administration's improper actions. Senator Collins also questioned Blanche's role in resolving the $10 billion lawsuit with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), but stated that she believed he would work to provide independent legal advice to the President.

Senator Bill Cassidy, speaking before casting the decisive vote, stated that he believed Blanche was the best option the President was likely to present. "This is not a referendum on President Trump; this is a decision made at a very specific moment regarding Mr. Blanche," Cassidy said, justifying his decision. Cassidy, acknowledging that Trump determines the direction of the justice position, also stated that Senate confirmation would give Blanche more strength to stand up for what is right. In Trump's second impeachment trial in 2021, Cassidy had voted to convict Trump regarding the January 6 Capitol attack. However, that impeachment did not pass, and after returning to power, Trump took steps to retire Cassidy by supporting another candidate for the Louisiana Senate seat.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, commenting on social media platform X, stated that Blanche's appointment was a good opportunity to advance Trump's corrupt activities. Schumer accused Blanche of having no intention of stopping Trump's corruption, and that he had built his career by enabling it. He further stated that every senator who voted in favor of him would be marked as an enabler of that corruption.

Nevertheless, many Republicans quickly celebrated this victory. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, posted on X, stating that Blanche had demonstrated extraordinary patience, compassion, and perseverance throughout the appointment process. Grassley stated that there was no doubt Blanche was qualified for the position.

Before being appointed to interim leadership in April after Pam Bondi was removed from office, Blanche was serving as Deputy Attorney General. Blanche also served as the lead attorney in Trump's 2024 hush-money case.