'Former Trump Attorney' Approved by Senate as U.S. Attorney General

Approved by a Narrow Margin: 50 in Favor, 49 Against

The nomination of Todd Blanche, the former personal attorney to U.S. President Donald Trump and nominee for Attorney General, was approved by the U.S. Senate on August 8 (local time).

The confirmation was passed by a narrow margin of 50 votes in favor and 49 against in the Senate on this day.

AP Yonhap News Agency

With all 47 Democratic senators opposing, the key was whether the nomination could secure the support of all 50 Republican senators.

There was resistance within the Republican Party as President Trump sought to appoint a close loyalist to the role of Attorney General, a position that requires nonpartisan public service. The Republican Party holds 53 seats in the Senate, but with Senator Mitch McConnell facing health issues, if just three members opposed, the nomination could have been rejected.

Although the nomination passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on August 4 and moved to the full Senate, Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski stated their opposition. However, as Senator Bill Cassidy, who is considered anti-Trump, announced his intention to vote in favor, the nomination was able to pass the Senate.

After resigning from a major law firm in 2023, nominee Blanche served as President Trump's personal attorney. He was the lead counsel in cases involving hush money over Trump’s alleged sexual misconduct and the federal investigation into the mishandling of classified defense documents.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.