Todd Blanche narrowly confirmed as attorney general

The Senate narrowly confirmed President Trump's former defense lawyer, Todd Blanche, as the U.S. Attorney General. Republicans Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Democrats in voting against Blanche's nomination to serve as the nation's top law enforcement official.

cbsnews.com ·1d ago

The US Senate has narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche as the country's attorney general. The vote was 50-49, with two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joining all Democrats in voting against his nomination.

Blanche, a former federal prosecutor and personal defense lawyer for President Donald Trump, had been serving as acting attorney general since April. His confirmation as the nation's top law enforcement official comes amid concerns that Trump sees him as his lawyer, rather than an independent officer.

Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted in favor of Blanche's nomination, said he did so because he believed Blanche would be effective in pushing back against Trump's demands. Blanche expressed his gratitude to senators for working late to confirm him, saying he was "deeply honored" by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in him.

Brief written by urgent.news from CBS News, PBS NewsHour, ABC News (US), DW News, Fortune — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.