AG Blanche Barely Breaks Confirmation Minimum

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was confirmed by the Senate early Saturday morning to become the country’s next AG.

In a narrow 50-49 vote, Blanche, President Trump’s former personal attorney, moves from being the Justice Department’s second-highest-ranking official to its official leader.

All Senate Democrats opposed Blanche’s confirmation, joined by Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. His nomination advanced after Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana announced his support, despite concerns about several of Blanche’s decisions while he was acting attorney general, including shielding Trump from specific IRS audits and lawsuits targeting Trump’s political opponents.

Despite those marks, Cassidy said Blanche was better than any other acting official at leading the department under Trump and his current administration.

“Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this,” Cassidy said on Friday. “But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. 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.”