Todd Blanche confirmed as US attorney general in razor-thin Senate vote

The man who once defended Donald Trump in a Manhattan courtroom now runs the entire US Department of Justice. The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general on August 8, 2026, in a 50-49 vote that perfectly captured the partisan fault lines of his nomination.

Blanche had already been functioning as acting attorney general since April 2, following the dismissal of Pam Bondi. His formal confirmation converts a temporary arrangement into something far more permanent, and far more consequential for the DOJ’s direction.

From defense table to the AG’s office

Blanche’s path to the top of the Justice Department is, by any historical measure, unusual. He represented Trump personally in several of the most politically charged criminal cases in modern American history. That list includes the New York hush-money trial, the federal classified documents case, and proceedings related to election obstruction.

Before his stint as a high-profile defense attorney, Blanche built his legal career on the other side of the courtroom. He served as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, one of the most prestigious federal prosecutorial offices in the country, where he initially focused on violent crimes cases.

Trump first brought Blanche into government as deputy attorney general, a role the Senate confirmed on March 5, 2025, by a somewhat wider margin of 52-46. When Bondi was dismissed in the spring of 2026, Blanche stepped into the acting role. Trump formally nominated him for the permanent position in June 2026.

The opposition and its arguments

Two Republicans broke ranks to vote against Blanche’s confirmation: Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Every Democratic senator voted no. Their objections centered on a single core concern: independence.

The Senate Judiciary Committee had already advanced Blanche’s nomination along party lines, a preview of the tight final vote. Collins and Murkowski, both known for occasionally crossing the aisle on confirmation votes, lived up to that reputation once again.

Supporters of Blanche’s confirmation pointed to his prosecutorial background as evidence that he understands law enforcement from the inside. His years in the Southern District of New York, they argued, demonstrate that he can operate within institutional norms when the role demands it.

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