Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche’s Senate confirmation could be in jeopardy after two Republicans revealed they will be voting against him.
Now, whether Blanche, who succeeded the former U.S. attorney Pam Bondi, will be confirmed comes down to a narrow vote.
The Republicans hold 53 seats in the 100-member Senate, with the Democrats holding 45 other seats. The two remaining senators are independents.
However, because one senator is absent from the vote, only 99 senators will be voting. That means Blanche needs a majority of 50 in order to be confirmed.
In the looming vote on whether to confirm Blanche, which is expected to take place before the Senate departs for its August recess, all 45 Democratic senators are expected to vote against him.
Lisa Murkowski
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, has said that she will not be supporting Blanche’s nomination.
Explaining her decision, she wrote on X that the country needs an attorney general who will “check the worst impulses of this administration.”
“I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case,” she said.
Murkowski went on to say that she has taken issue with the Trump administration’s handling of the release of the Epstein files and the "targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. Senators.”
Murkowski, who has previously criticized Trump, also expressed concerns over the Trump administration’s plans to create a $1.8 billion slush fund, which Murkowski believes could have “rewarded January 6 protesters.”
Blanche confirmed this week that there were no plans to move forward with the fund, but Murkowski claimed that it was only “off the table” because Blanche’s nomination is pending and the Senate has “leverage.”
“Once we vote, that will end, and there is no telling what the future holds,” she said.
Susan Collins
Maine Senator Susan Collins, also a Republican, has also confirmed that she will vote against Blanche.
Collins, who faces a tough reelection battle later this year, says that Blanche has taken “several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence.”
The senator pointed to Blanche’s support for the $1.8 billion fund and criticized him for the DOJ moving to indict Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin over a video in which they encouraged service 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,” she added.
Mitch McConnell
Senator Mitch McConnell was hospitalized in mid-June and has been out of Congress since.
In an email update sent to constituents in Kentucky, the Republican said that he was admitted after a fall and had developed a case of pneumonia.
On Thursday, he announced that he had been discharged from a medical rehabilitation center and was recovering at home.
Bill Cassidy
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican, declared his support for Blanche’s confirmation on Friday after much speculation around his position.
Cassidy has previously raised concerns about the “weaponization” of the Justice Department and was defeated by a Trump-backed candidate in a primary election earlier this year. That led many to wonder if he would move against the Trump-backed Blanche.
Cassidy also previously voted to convict Trump.
“Mr Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this, but the choice is not between perfection and Mr Blanche,” Cassidy told the Senate floor as he backed the U.S. acting attorney general. “It is between Mr Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump and who indeed may not be as good as Mr Blanche.”
With Cassidy supporting Blanche, the number of Republicans who could vote for Blanche could hover around 50. Since 99 Senators will vote in the confirmation, that would give Blanche the majority he needs.
John Fetterman
Speculation about whether Democratic Senator John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania, would vote for Blanche’s confirmation was rampant until Wednesday.
Fetterman has previously voted to confirm some of Trump’s cabinet picks, including now-Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin.
However, speaking on The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, Fetterman confirmed that he would be voting against Blanche’s confirmation.
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