Trump's Former Lawyer Is Now the Country's Top Law Enforcement Official. Here's How It Happened.
Todd Blanche was sworn in as attorney general of the United States at a White House ceremony on Monday, August 10, 2026. His confirmation followed a bitter fight in the Senate that revealed deep divisions between the two major political parties and even within the Republican Party itself. The Guardian
The Senate confirmed Blanche in a vote that ended at 4:17 AM on Saturday, August 8, 2026. The final count was 50 to 49 in his favor. U.S. Senate Every Democratic senator voted against him. Two Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, also voted no. That left the vote at the thinnest possible margin to win. Reuters
Blanche is the second confirmed attorney general of the Trump administration, following Pam Bondi. PBS NewsHour He had been filling the role on a temporary basis since April 2026, after Bondi left. Before that, he served as deputy attorney general, the number-two position at the Justice Department, in a swearing-in ceremony held by President Trump. The White House
Blanche's path to the job is unusual. He first became known as Donald Trump's personal lawyer, defending Trump in court cases. Now he runs the same Justice Department that he once faced across the courtroom. Democratic senators argued throughout the confirmation process that this background raises questions about whether Blanche can act independently from the president. Their opposition reflects those concerns.
The two Republicans who voted against him, Collins and Murkowski, have a history of breaking with their party on major votes. Their decision to oppose Blanche meant that with 53 Republicans in the Senate, the party could only lose three votes and still win. Two defected. The margin could not have been tighter.
Blanche was formally nominated to be the 88th Attorney General of the United States, according to Department of Justice records. DOJ While serving as deputy attorney general, he was mentioned alongside Bondi in a major speech about antitrust (the government's effort to prevent companies from unfairly dominating markets) given by Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater at the University of Notre Dame in April 2025. That reference shows he was involved in the department's enforcement priorities well before the top job opened up. DOJ
The broader context here matters for understanding the stakes. Blanche now holds permanent authority over a department that has been at the center of political controversy throughout Trump's second term, from questions about presidential pardons to antitrust enforcement to politically sensitive investigations. An attorney general who once represented the president personally will face scrutiny on every decision that touches, even loosely, on matters involving Trump or his associates.
The timing of the vote, 4:17 AM on a Saturday, is also worth noting. Senate leaders scheduled the final vote in the middle of the night, a tactic often used to reduce public attention or limit the time opponents have to organize. Whether planned or simply a result of how the Senate schedule worked out, the confirmation was finished before most of the country was awake.
Blanche now takes full control of the Justice Department's roughly 115,000 employees, its legal divisions, the chain of oversight for the FBI, and the authority to decide which cases the federal government brings to court. He does so with the narrowest possible Senate mandate: 50 votes, two from his own party voting against him, and not a single Democratic vote in support.
