Cassidy backs Blanche, clearing path to attorney general confirmation

Bill Cassidy’s support gave Todd Blanche the opening he needed, after the Louisiana Republican said the attorney general vote was “not black or white.” Cassidy said he weighed concerns about Blanche’s impartiality before backing the former personal defense attorney to lead the Justice Department.

The Senate confirmed Blanche by a 50-49 vote early Saturday morning, a razor-thin margin that showed how few defections Republicans could afford on a Trump-era nomination that split even members of the president’s own party. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine had already said they would oppose Blanche, making Cassidy’s decision decisive.

Cassidy framed his choice as a balance between competing obligations. “No American should be targeted by the law, but no American should be above the law,” he said, adding that the question “almost weighed” against his vote. His language pointed to the political calculation at the heart of the fight: whether Republican senators could support a Trump-aligned nominee while still signaling independence on the Justice Department’s power.

Blanche’s path through the Senate Judiciary Committee was equally tight. The panel held a hearing on his nomination and later an executive business meeting before sending it to the full Senate on a party-line or near-party-line basis. The committee’s process, followed closely in Washington, underscored how little room there was for compromise once the nomination reached the floor.

The stakes extended beyond one cabinet post. Blanche was identified in the confirmation fight as Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, and outside groups moved quickly to shape the vote. The League of Women Voters publicly opposed his nomination, while a national coalition pressed Cassidy to reject him. Elizabeth G. Oyer also submitted written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 16, 2026, opposing Blanche and describing her experience with the Justice Department.

Cassidy’s decision showed how Senate Republicans navigated a familiar Trump-era dilemma: how to manage nominees who were politically loyal to Trump yet controversial enough to test the party’s institutional claims. With Murkowski and Collins opposed and Cassidy wavering until the end, Blanche’s confirmation depended on whether Republicans chose party alignment over hesitation about the Justice Department’s independence.