Two Republicans Joined Democrats In Opposing Trump’s Former Attorney As Hakeem Jeffries Turns The One-Vote Confirmation Into A November Campaign Message
President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Todd Blanche is officially the nation’s attorney general after narrowly winning Senate confirmation in an early Saturday morning vote — a margin House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is already turning into a November campaign message.
The Republican-controlled Senate confirmed Blanche 50-49, elevating him from acting attorney general and the Justice Department’s No. 2 official to permanent leader of the agency.
Every Senate Democrat opposed Blanche, along with Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky did not vote.
Just one day after the confirmation, Jeffries seized on the single-vote margin.
In an Instagram video, the New York Democrat called Blanche “deeply unqualified” and a “political hack” before urging voters to remember which party provided the votes needed for his confirmation.
“Just one vote made the difference,” Jeffries said. “Democrats held the line. Republicans caved. Remember in November.”
Blanche’s confirmation capped a contentious fight over his close ties to Trump, his leadership of the Justice Department and questions from lawmakers about whether he would maintain the department’s independence from the White House.
Jeffries Turns Blanche Vote Into November Message
For Jeffries, the Senate vote is now more than a fight over who leads the Justice Department.
His response tied Blanche’s confirmation directly to the November elections, emphasizing that Republican support provided the difference in a vote decided by the narrowest possible margin.
Official Senate records show Blanche received 50 votes to 49, with one senator not voting. The confirmation was completed during an overnight Senate session early Aug. 8.
Collins and Murkowski joined Democrats in opposing Blanche, while Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy ultimately provided critical support after previously expressing concerns about the nomination.
Jeffries’ message comes as Democrats seek to use controversial Trump administration actions and closely divided congressional votes to make their case to voters ahead of November.
Cassidy Provides Crucial Vote For Blanche
Cassidy emerged as one of the most closely watched senators after Collins and Murkowski announced their opposition.
He ultimately backed Blanche despite raising concerns about several decisions made during Blanche’s time as acting attorney general.
“Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this,” Cassidy said 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.”
Much of the confirmation fight centered on a controversial settlement involving Trump and the Internal Revenue Service and a proposed $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”
The fund was intended to compensate people who claimed they had been unfairly targeted by the federal government.
Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina held up Blanche’s nomination until receiving assurances that the fund would not move forward.
Blanche eventually provided written assurances ending the proposed payments and narrowing tax protections connected to Trump and members of his family.
Even after those concessions, Collins and Murkowski remained opposed.
Collins argued that the Justice Department had become increasingly politicized and that actions taken under Blanche further weakened the agency’s independence.
Murkowski also raised concerns about the Epstein files, the tax protections and whether the disputed fund could eventually return once the Senate no longer had Blanche’s nomination as leverage.
Black Leaders Question Blanche’s Independence
Blanche also faced pointed criticism from Black political and civil rights leaders over whether his history representing Trump and his actions at the Justice Department made him fit to serve as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer.
“The attorney general’s client isn’t the president, it’s the American people,” Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said in July.
Booker questioned whether Blanche could separate his previous role defending Trump from his responsibility to oversee the Justice Department on behalf of the public.
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson also opposed Blanche’s confirmation, pointing to the Anti-Weaponization Fund and the Justice Department’s handling of files connected to convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein.
“Todd Blanche has used his position to carry out the personal and political bidding of the president, at the literal expense of the American people,” Johnson said.
Blanche’s handling of matters surrounding Epstein has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers in both parties, while several Epstein survivors urged senators not to move forward with his confirmation.
Critics have also questioned investigations pursued under Blanche involving people and organizations viewed as Trump adversaries, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Supporters, however, argue Blanche’s previous experience as a federal prosecutor and his relationship with Trump could make him more capable of explaining legal limits to the president.
From Trump’s Defense Team To Attorney General
Blanche first joined Trump’s legal team in 2023 and represented him in several criminal cases, including the New York hush money prosecution and federal cases involving classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
After Trump returned to the White House, Blanche was nominated and confirmed as deputy attorney general.
He later became acting attorney general following Trump’s removal of Pam Bondi earlier this year.
Blanche now takes permanent control of a Justice Department that has faced growing questions over the traditional separation between federal law enforcement and the political interests of the White House.
But the fallout from his confirmation may extend well beyond the Justice Department.
With Blanche confirmed by a single vote, Jeffries is already framing the outcome as something voters should carry with them to the ballot box.
