The Todd Blanche vote ended with the U.S. Senate confirming President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney as attorney general by a narrow 50-49 vote early Saturday, August 8, 2026. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska opposed Blanche, while Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana provided the critical Republican support needed for confirmation.
The closely watched vote concluded weeks of uncertainty over whether Blanche could secure enough Republican support to become the permanent head of the U.S. Department of Justice. His confirmation came after negotiations with Republican senators who had raised concerns about a controversial Justice Department agreement involving a proposed compensation fund and provisions affecting federal tax investigations involving Trump and his family.
Todd Blanche Vote Ends With 50-49 Confirmation
The Senate vote was one of the closest confirmations of a Trump administration Cabinet-level nominee during the president’s second term.
Blanche received 50 votes in favor and 49 against. All voting Democrats opposed his confirmation, while Collins and Murkowski were the only Republicans to vote against him. Cassidy’s decision to support Blanche proved decisive after he had spent days expressing reservations about the nominee.
The outcome allowed Blanche to move from acting attorney general to the Senate-confirmed head of the Justice Department.
His confirmation also demonstrated the importance of the Senate’s narrow Republican majority. With some Republican senators withholding support and Sen. Mitch McConnell absent, Blanche needed nearly complete Republican backing to prevail.
The final margin therefore made the vote much more significant than a routine confirmation.
Why the Todd Blanche Vote Was So Closely Watched
Blanche entered the confirmation process with an unusual background for an attorney general nominee.
Before joining the Justice Department, he served as a personal criminal defense attorney for Trump. The Senate had previously confirmed Blanche as deputy attorney general in March 2025 by a 52-46 vote. That earlier confirmation was also decided largely along party lines.
Blanche later became acting attorney general and was nominated by Trump in June 2026 to permanently lead the department. The Senate Judiciary Committee began its consideration of the nomination in July.
The committee hearings placed Blanche’s relationship with Trump at the center of questioning.
Democrats argued that his previous work for Trump raised concerns about whether he could maintain the independence expected of the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. Blanche rejected the suggestion that his loyalty to Trump would override his responsibilities as attorney general.
The issue became particularly important because the Justice Department under the Trump administration has faced continuing political controversy over investigations, prosecutions and decisions involving the president’s political opponents.
Senate Judiciary Committee Advanced Blanche’s Nomination
Before the final Senate vote, Blanche had to overcome a major obstacle in the Judiciary Committee.
The committee initially faced opposition from Republican senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Their concerns centered heavily on a Justice Department agreement involving Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
The dispute focused on a proposed $1.8 billion anti-weaponization compensation fund. Critics argued that the arrangement could provide financial benefits to people who claimed they had been unfairly targeted by federal law enforcement, including individuals connected to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Blanche ultimately provided written assurances that the proposed fund would not move forward. Cornyn and Tillis then backed his nomination. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche by a 12-10 vote on August 4, clearing the path for consideration by the full Senate.
That committee vote did not end the controversy. Instead, it shifted the focus to whether Blanche could obtain the votes needed on the Senate floor.
Bill Cassidy’s Decision Changed the Math
The most important development before the final vote came from Sen. Bill Cassidy.
Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, had publicly expressed serious reservations about Blanche’s record. He had questioned aspects of the Justice Department’s handling of the IRS settlement and the proposed compensation fund.
On August 7, however, Cassidy announced that he would vote for Blanche.
Cassidy acknowledged that he expected criticism for the decision but said he ultimately preferred Blanche to the alternative that could emerge if the nomination failed. His support was crucial because Republican senators Collins and Murkowski had already announced their opposition.
Cassidy’s decision effectively gave Republican leaders the votes needed to confirm Blanche.
The final result showed how important that decision was. Blanche won by one vote, 50-49.
Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski Voted Against Blanche
The Todd Blanche vote also highlighted divisions within the Republican conference.
Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski both opposed Blanche’s confirmation.
Their concerns extended beyond the proposed compensation fund. They also questioned the broader direction of the Justice Department and whether Blanche would maintain sufficient independence from the White House.
Collins had previously raised concerns about the department becoming too closely aligned with Trump’s political interests. Murkowski also objected to aspects of Blanche’s record and his relationship with the president.
Despite their opposition, the two senators did not have enough support to block the nomination after Cassidy announced that he would vote yes.
Their votes nevertheless ensured that Blanche’s confirmation would not be a unanimous Republican decision.
What the Senate Vote Means for Todd Blanche
The confirmation gives Blanche a permanent position at the top of the Justice Department.
As attorney general, he oversees the department responsible for federal criminal enforcement, the FBI, federal prosecutors and a broad range of national law enforcement responsibilities.
The Senate vote also removes the uncertainty surrounding his status as acting attorney general.
Blanche had already been exercising the department’s top leadership responsibilities before the confirmation. His formal confirmation now provides him with the authority and tenure associated with the Senate-confirmed position.
The transition is especially notable because Blanche moved from representing Trump personally to becoming the government’s top federal law enforcement official.
That history was a central theme throughout his confirmation process.
Blanche’s Earlier Senate Confirmation
The 2026 attorney general vote was not Blanche’s first experience with a Senate confirmation.
In 2025, Trump nominated Blanche to become deputy attorney general. The Senate confirmed him on March 5, 2025, by a 52-46 vote. The Senate’s official record shows that the nomination received the required confirmation vote after cloture was invoked 51-46.
At that time, Blanche moved into the Justice Department after working as Trump’s personal criminal defense lawyer.
His advancement from deputy attorney general to acting attorney general and ultimately confirmed attorney general represents a rapid rise within the federal government.
The latest Senate vote completes that progression.
The Controversies Behind the Todd Blanche Vote
Several issues shaped the debate over Blanche’s confirmation.
The proposed anti-weaponization fund was among the most important. Republican senators demanded assurances that the fund would not proceed, while Democrats argued that the broader agreement raised serious questions about the Justice Department’s independence.
Another area of scrutiny involved provisions connected to Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. Critics objected to elements that they said could limit federal tax scrutiny involving Trump, his family and related interests.
Blanche ultimately made concessions during negotiations with Republican senators. Those assurances helped bring previously skeptical Republicans behind his nomination.
The confirmation therefore depended not only on party control of the Senate but also on last-minute negotiations over specific Justice Department actions.
Blanche’s Confirmation Hearing Focused on Independence
The Senate Judiciary Committee held Blanche’s confirmation hearing in July.
During the hearing, senators questioned him about his past relationship with Trump and whether he would be willing to disagree with the president when required by law.
Blanche maintained that he could perform the attorney general’s duties independently. He also defended his record at the Justice Department and argued that his work had focused on law enforcement priorities rather than political considerations.
The hearing lasted for hours and featured sharp exchanges between Blanche and Democratic senators.
The controversy surrounding his nomination reflected a larger debate over the proper relationship between the White House and the Justice Department.
That debate continued through the final Senate vote.
Why the 50-49 Margin Matters
A 50-49 confirmation is significant because it shows how little room there was for additional Republican defections.
Trump’s Republican Party controls the Senate, but the Blanche nomination demonstrated that the administration could not automatically assume every Republican senator would support every Justice Department decision.
Collins and Murkowski opposed Blanche. Cassidy ultimately backed him after raising concerns. Other Republicans also sought assurances before supporting the nomination.
The final vote therefore reflected both party loyalty and internal Republican disagreements over the Justice Department’s direction.
For Blanche, the result was enough to secure confirmation.
For the Trump administration, it means the president now has a Senate-confirmed attorney general who previously served as his personal lawyer.
What Comes Next for Blanche
With the Senate confirmation complete, Blanche can now serve as the permanent attorney general rather than continuing in an acting capacity.
His immediate responsibilities include directing the Justice Department, overseeing federal law enforcement priorities and managing the department’s relationship with the White House, Congress and the federal courts.
The controversies that surrounded his nomination are unlikely to disappear simply because the Senate has voted.
Questions about Justice Department independence, the IRS settlement, the abandoned compensation fund and Blanche’s previous relationship with Trump will remain important parts of the political and legal debate surrounding his tenure.
His confirmation also means that future decisions made under his leadership will receive heightened scrutiny from both supporters and critics.
Final Thoughts on the Todd Blanche Vote
The Senate’s 50-49 vote confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general after a contentious nomination process that exposed divisions within both parties. Democrats unanimously opposed him, while Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski also voted no. Sen. Bill Cassidy’s support provided the margin that allowed Blanche to cross the confirmation threshold.
Blanche now takes permanent control of the Justice Department after previously serving as deputy attorney general and acting attorney general. His background as Trump’s former personal attorney will remain a defining part of his public profile as he begins his tenure as attorney general.
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