The U.S. Senate, in a 50-49 vote early Saturday morning, confirmed Todd Blanche to serve as the nation’s 88th attorney general.
Blanche, who was nominated to the post by President Donald Trump after he removed Pam Bondi, faced intense scrutiny over his tenure at the Justice Department.
Blanche was first confirmed as deputy attorney general in 2025. He began serving as acting attorney general in April.
Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted against Blanche’s nomination. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., did not vote. Murkowski said she took issue with the Department of Justice’s nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, which was announced in May.
The fund, born out of a settlement between Trump and the IRS over his leaked tax returns, was meant to support victims of political persecution. Trump floated allowing individuals who assaulted police officers in the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol to receive assistance from the fund.
Blanche issued an order rescinding further operation of the fund. However, Murkowski said she does not believe the order is legally binding.
“The Department’s nearly $2-billion dollar slush fund-which likely would have rewarded January 6 protesters-is only off the table because this nomination is pending and the Senate has leverage. Once we vote, that will end, and there is no telling what the future holds,” Murkowski wrote on social media.
Collins took issue with the anti-weaponization fund as well. Additionally, she said Blanche has allowed the department to become “increasingly political.”
Collins pointed to the department’s attempted indictments of Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., over a video where they encouraged military members to resist unlawful orders.
“More than 1,200 former Department of Justice employees have opposed his nomination, arguing that he has undermined the institution,” Collins wrote on social media.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., cast a critical vote in confirming Blanche, given the objections of Murkowski and Collins. He said he was concerned about the anti-weaponization fund that said it would be better to have Blanche as a Senate-confirmed nominee in order to have greater leverage over his actions.
“Mr. Blanche is not perfect and he will tell you this,” Cassidy said on the Senate floor. “The choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. This is not a referendum on President Trump, it is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche and very specific circumstances.”
Cassidy pointed to Blanche’s pursuit of fraud in federal programs, as he has led the Justice Department. He applauded Blanche’s pursuit, a sentiment echoed by other Republicans.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he supported Blanche’s nomination because of the work under his leadership to reduce crime through increased prosecutions. He said the United States has experienced its lowest murder rate since 1900, in part due to Blanche’s leadership of the Justice Department.
“Mr. Blanche refocused the Justice Department on keeping Americans safe,” Grassley said. “That’s the sort of impact we should want and should expect from the Justice Department and any attorney general that heads that department. And that is what Mr. Blanche has delivered.”
With Blanche’s confirmation, he will need to be sworn in as attorney general in a ceremony that will likely occur in the next week.