The Senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche as the next attorney general early Saturday after tight Senate vote

The Senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche as the next attorney general early Saturday after tight Senate vote, confirming him as U.S. attorney general in a pre-dawn roll call.^[1][2][3]

Blanche is President Trump's former personal attorney, described also as Trump's ex-lawyer, and his elevation caps a tumultuous path to office.^[2][3]

50-49 pre-dawn tally made Bill Cassidy the deciding vote

The pre-dawn vote was split 50-49, mostly along party lines. Every Democratic member present voted against the Trump nominee, joined by GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was not present amid a lengthy health-related absence.^[2]

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana was broadly seen as Democrats' best shot at blocking Blanche's nomination, but he announced Friday that he would vote in favor of the president's former personal attorney. Cassidy was the deciding vote after a lengthy stand-off.^[2][3]

Holdouts, acting status and the dead $1.776 billion fund

Blanche has been serving in the role in an acting capacity since this spring, and will now formally take over the post held by Pam Bondi before she was pushed out. The appointment is described as a win for the Trump administration, especially after a journey that saw some Republicans hold out at multiple stages.^[2]

At one point Trump threatened to keep him as acting attorney general for months, after two GOP senators withheld their votes to advance him from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina both eventually supported Blanche's advancement after Blanche confirmed that a controversial $1.776 billion fund to pay out perceived victims of political weaponization was dead.^[2]

With Blanche as acting attorney general, the DOJ has continued what was described as an unconventionally close alignment with the White House, renewing attempts to prosecute individuals in line with the president's wishes. Not much changes with 'acting' dropped from Blanche's title, but his confirmation is described as representing the official start of an aggressive new era for the DOJ.^[2]

Epstein survivors criticism persisted after mandated meeting

While Blanche won over Republican defectors on the controversial fund, he continued to face sharp criticism from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, stemming from another controversy that threatened to derail his nomination.^[2]

Tillis had given Blanche another mandate to earn his vote: meeting with Epstein victims. Blanche did so, but multiple survivors publicly panned the meeting as demoralizing and unproductive.^[2]