Todd Blanche, who previously served as President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, has been formally confirmed as the United States Attorney-General.
The U.S. Senate approved Blanche’s nomination by a narrow 50-49 vote in the early hours of Saturday.
The confirmation followed a divided vote, with Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joining all Democratic senators in opposing his nomination. Senator Bill Cassidy, however, provided the decisive vote that secured Blanche’s confirmation.
Blanche had been serving as acting Attorney-General since April following the departure of Pam Bondi.
Reacting to his confirmation, Blanche thanked President Trump for entrusting him with the leadership of the Department of Justice.
“I am deeply honoured by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me to lead the Department of Justice as our great nation’s 88th Attorney General,” Blanche said in a statement shared on X.
He also expressed appreciation to the Senate for completing the confirmation process.
His nomination had faced uncertainty over his alleged involvement in the creation of Trump’s $1.8 billion anti-weaponisation fund, which was intended to compensate people who claimed they had been targeted or persecuted by the government.
During his confirmation hearings, Blanche came under pressure from Republican lawmakers over the fund and subsequently pledged to dismantle it.
With his confirmation secured, Blanche will now take charge as the United States’ top federal law enforcement official, serving under Trump, whom he previously represented as a lawyer.