US Senate confirms Trump's ex-lawyer as attorney general
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be Attorney General, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on July 15, 2026. (AFP)
The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Todd Blanche as attorney general early on Aug. 8 after Republican lawmakers shrugged off Democratic concerns over politicization of the Department of Justice.
Blanche, who has already been serving as the top U.S. law enforcement officer in an acting capacity, represented Trump as his private attorney in several criminal trials before entering government.
The Senate, which Republicans narrowly control, confirmed him by 50 votes to 49. Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined the Democrats in voting no, underlining the political sensitivity over the nomination.
