Senate confirms Todd Blanche as new attorney general

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, was confirmed this Saturday as attorney general after securing sufficient support among senators following arduous negotiations to overcome reservations even within Republican ranks. Democratic lawmakers indicated that the appointment of Blanche, a former personal attorney for Donald Trump, would lead to a "politicization" of the Department of Justice.

Ultimately, the Senate gave the green light to his nomination by a vote of 50-49. Conservative Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined the Democrats and voted against the nomination.

"I am deeply honored by the trust President Trump has placed in me to lead the Department of Justice," Blanche wrote on social media platform X. Blanche also thanked the Senate for "staying late" to bring this vote to a close.

Frustration among Democrats

Among Democrats, the discontent was palpable. "The attorney general is supposed to be the people's lawyer," said Sen. Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Tuesday.

"Mr. Blanche continues to act as the president's personal attorney, treating the Department of Justice like a law firm that serves a single client: the president," he noted.

A road full of obstacles

The main objections among Republican senators centered on the controversial initiative to create a $1.8 billion fund for those Trump considers victims of Biden's judicial persecution and an extraordinary proposal that granted Trump immunity from tax audits.

However, Blanche ultimately managed to defuse opposition within his own party by issuing a written order over the weekend that eliminated the so-called fund against the "political instrumentalization" of justice.

He also clarified that the agreement granting immunity from tax audits to Trump, his two eldest sons and the Trump Organization would apply only retroactively to previous tax years and not to future tax returns.

Furthermore, during his appearances before the Senate, Blanche pledged to "end mail-in voting" of the abortion pill, one of the strongest demands from the pro-life wing of the Republican Party and prominent activists.

Blanche had already been serving as acting attorney general since Trump dismissed Pam Bondi in April, another figure considered close to the president.

The Stormy Daniels case and Jack Smith

Before joining the Department of Justice, Blanche represented Trump in his New York trial over the alleged payments made to buy the silence of adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

He was also part of his defense team in two federal cases brought against Trump by Special Counsel Jack Smith: one for the alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House and another for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.