Senate Republicans narrowly confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general

The US Senate has confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in a narrow 50-49 vote. According to CNBC, Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski opposed him, while Senator Bill Cassidy was the deciding vote.

The confirmation process was tumultuous, with some Republicans expressing concerns about Blanche's independence from the White House. Axios reported that Blanche's appointment is seen as a win for the Trump administration, and his confirmation could allow him to pursue the administration's agenda more aggressively.

Blanche has been serving as acting attorney general and will now formally take over the post. The Associated Press noted that President Donald Trump has sought to use the Justice Department to investigate his political enemies, and Blanche's confirmation may enable him to do so more aggressively.

Brief written by urgent.news from CNBC, Axios, ABC News AU, The Hill, Associated Press — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — read the original for the full account.