Blanche clears final hurdle as Cassidy backs Trump AG pick

In a major victory for the White House, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced Friday that he will vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, clearing what appeared to be the final Senate hurdle for President Trump’s embattled nominee. The Louisiana Republican’s decision, delivered in a floor speech, effectively ends a weeks-long standoff and puts Blanche on track for a narrow party-line confirmation before the Senate leaves for its August recess.

A decisive vote after weeks of uncertainty

Cassidy said, “I will vote for Mr Blanche.” He acknowledged Blanche’s imperfections but argued the choice is between Blanche and an acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under Trump. That statement effectively ended the suspense. Earlier in the day, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) had announced her opposition, leaving Cassidy as the last undecided Republican. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) had already declared her intention to vote no.

Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer, has been serving as acting attorney general. His nomination advanced from the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this week on a 12-10 party-line vote after he made written assurances on a controversial fund. Murkowski said the Senate only has leverage over the fund while Blanche’s confirmation is pending.

The holdouts and the impeachment backdrop

Cassidy and Murkowski were among the handful of Republicans who voted to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial over the January 6 Capitol riot. That history loomed over the confirmation fight. Murkowski, in explaining her no vote, cited concerns about the independence of the Department of Justice. Collins had similarly said she could not support Blanche over the same issues.

For Cassidy, the decision came after weeks of intense pressure from the White House. He also lost his Louisiana primary in May after a campaign that included a Trump-backed challenger. Despite that, he had voiced concerns about “lawfare” at the Justice Department before ultimately siding with the president.

Trump’s public and private squeeze

Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, was asked about his fraying relationships with Murkowski and Cassidy. “I’ll reach out to whoever I have to, but anybody voting against [Blanche] would be doing a great disservice to the country,” he said, claiming that people have “unbelievable respect” for Blanche. He expressed hope that personal outreach wouldn’t be necessary.

Trump also acknowledged the political toll of his feuds with GOP holdouts, but he was unapologetic, referencing their impeachment votes. “Look, I don’t regret it. You do what you have to do,” he told Punchbowl News. “And just so you understand, they voted to impeach me … In all fairness, you think that I’m going to support somebody that voted to impeach me?”

That comment underscored the complicated dynamics: Trump had effectively opposed Cassidy’s primary reelection, yet Cassidy now becomes the decisive vote for a Trump priority.

What happens next

With Cassidy on board, the Senate is expected to hold a final confirmation vote in the coming days. Blanche will likely be confirmed with the bare minimum of support, probably along party lines. The vote comes as senators prepare to leave for a five-week recess starting this weekend.

The outcome hands Trump a significant win, but it also leaves unresolved concerns about the independence of the Justice Department. Blanche had persuaded the judiciary committee in part by promising to shut down a controversial fund, but experts note that as attorney general, Trump could easily reverse such commitments. Murkowski argued that the Senate’s current leverage stems only from the pending confirmation, suggesting that oversight challenges may persist after Blanche is installed.

For now, the White House can claim another victory, but the narrow margin and the pointed opposition from Murkowski and Collins signal that Blanche will assume the role with significant political baggage.