Blanche’s DOJ Bid Survives by the Skinniest Margin

Office of the Attorney General building sign on stone wall — Photo: Heidi Besen / Shutterstock

Senate Republicans confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general by a razor-thin 50-49 vote, putting President Trump’s former personal lawyer atop the Justice Department after a bruising confirmation fight.

Quick Take

The Senate confirmed Blanche in the early morning by a 50-49 vote.
The Senate Judiciary Committee had already advanced him on a 12-10 party-line vote.
Supporters pointed to Blanche’s prior Senate-confirmed Justice Department role and his public safety record.
The narrow vote left clear signs of deep partisan division over the Justice Department.

How Blanche Won the Vote

The Senate floor vote ended with 50 senators in favor and 49 against, according to the Senate roll call record. National reporting also said only Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski opposed him, while Senator Bill Cassidy provided the decisive support after saying Blanche was the best choice the president would put forward. The result confirmed Blanche as the nation’s top law enforcement official after weeks of uncertainty.

That margin mattered because the nomination had already shown signs of strain inside Blanche’s own party. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced him on a 12-10 vote along party lines after Republican holdouts moved to support him. That kind of split is a reminder that even high-level Justice Department posts now move through a deeply polarized Senate, where loyalty and policy direction often matter as much as professional background.

What Supporters Emphasized

Backers of Blanche leaned heavily on his prior Senate-confirmed service at the Justice Department. Congress records show the Senate confirmed him as deputy attorney general in March 2025 by a 52-46 vote. That earlier confirmation gave supporters a ready answer to critics who argued that he lacked the experience for the job. They framed him as a known quantity inside the department rather than an unknown political figure.

Senator John Cornyn also argued that Blanche should be judged by results, not just politics. According to reporting from CNBC, Cornyn cited a Council on Criminal Justice midyear report showing homicide rates down 51 percent from their peak nine years ago and carjackings down 73 percent. Cornyn also pointed to a letter from more than 300 “angel families” backing Blanche, using victims’ support to present him as someone focused on public safety and order.

Why the Fight Turned So Sharp

Blanche’s confirmation fight was shaped by concerns over the Justice Department’s role under Trump and Blanche’s own ties to him. Reporting before the vote said his nomination had been clouded by criticism over a settlement tied to Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, and the Senate Judiciary Committee only moved him forward after the controversy eased. That issue became a major symbol for opponents who saw the nomination through a political lens.

🚨 NEW OVERNIGHT: Fox News reports the Senate just confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General in a very slim 50-49 vote, with Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voting against his confirmation.

Senators pulled an all-nighter, and only two bills passed,…

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) August 8, 2026

The final vote also reinforced a broader pattern in modern Washington. Justice Department nominees now face tests about institutional independence, prosecutorial power, and loyalty to the president as much as their résumé. Blanche’s narrow win, after a party-line committee vote and a close floor fight, showed how little room remains for bipartisan agreement on top law enforcement jobs. For many voters, that is another sign that Washington treats justice as a political battlefield.