The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as United States Attorney General in the early hours of Saturday morning, August 8, 2026, in a razor-thin vote.
Blanche, formerly Donald Trump’s personal attorney, was confirmed by a vote of 50 to 49 after a late-night session stretched well past midnight.
The vote concluded after 4 am as senators pushed through ahead of a planned Senate recess, drawing immediate criticism for the unusual timing of such a consequential confirmation.
Only two Republican senators broke with their party to oppose the nomination, with Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska both voting against Blanche alongside all Democrats.
Blanche had already been leading the Department of Justice in an acting capacity prior to his confirmation, but the formal vote now grants him a stronger mandate to pursue the administration’s legal agenda.
His path to confirmation had remained uncertain heading into Friday, with the outcome depending on a small number of Republican holdouts who had expressed reservations about his record.
The crucial vote came from Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, whose support proved decisive given the absence of Senator Mitch McConnell and Murkowski’s firm opposition to the nominee.
Cassidy acknowledged significant concerns about Blanche’s conduct in office, stating that Blanche had shown “poor judgment in approving the anti-weaponization slush fund and exempting the president from IRS audits.”
Despite those criticisms, Cassidy concluded that a Senate-confirmed attorney general was preferable to one serving in an acting role without full congressional endorsement.
The late-night timing of the vote drew comparisons to other controversial legislative manoeuvres conducted under the cover of darkness, with critics arguing that consequential decisions deserve full public scrutiny during daylight hours.
With his confirmation now secured, Blanche is expected to move more aggressively on policy priorities that had been constrained while he served in a temporary capacity at the Justice Department.
The 50 to 49 margin underscores how deeply divided the Senate remains on Blanche’s fitness for the role, with his background as Trump’s personal defence attorney continuing to fuel Democratic opposition throughout the confirmation process.