Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general before August break

Published August 8, 2026 6:35am ET | Updated August 8, 2026 9:08am ET



The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as President Donald Trump’s attorney general in the early morning hours Saturday, one of its final votes before leaving for the August recess.

The 50-49 vote fell largely along party lines, with two Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME), joining Democrats in opposing Blanche’s nomination. The outcome of that vote was for days in doubt as Blanche negotiated language assuring holdout senators that the Justice Department’s “anti-weaponization” fund was dead.

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