The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general early Saturday, giving President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer formal control of the Justice Department after a 50-49 vote.
The official Senate roll call shows the nomination was confirmed at 4:17 a.m. on August 8, 2026. Fifty senators voted yes, 49 voted no, and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky did not vote.
The vote matters because the attorney general controls federal law-enforcement priorities, supervises U.S. attorneys and helps decide how the department handles politically sensitive investigations, civil-rights enforcement, antitrust work, national-security cases and legal positions taken by the federal government.
What changed
Blanche had already been serving in an acting role. Confirmation moves him from temporary authority into the Senate-confirmed post, making him the Justice Department's official leader unless he resigns or is removed.
The margin also showed how narrow the support was. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted no, joining Democrats and independents who opposed the nomination. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana voted yes after previously drawing attention as a key vote. McConnell was the only senator listed as not voting.
Associated Press and CBS News reported that Blanche's nomination drew scrutiny because of his prior work representing Trump and because senators had pressed him over Justice Department independence. Fox News also highlighted the overnight confirmation alongside the Senate's action on a temporary government-funding bill.
Why readers should care
The attorney general does not just manage prosecutors. The office shapes what cases receive department resources, how federal agencies defend administration policies in court and how the Justice Department speaks about politically charged investigations.
For citizens, businesses and state officials, that makes the confirmation more than a personnel move. It sets the leadership chain for decisions that can affect election litigation, civil-rights disputes, corporate enforcement, immigration cases, public-corruption investigations and the federal government's courtroom strategy.
What happens next
Blanche now takes over a department that remains under close congressional and public scrutiny. The first tests will be whether he keeps career-law-enforcement decisions insulated from political pressure, how he handles pending investigations and whether lawmakers continue oversight of the concerns raised during his confirmation fight.
The Senate is scheduled to return Monday, August 10, after adjourning at 4:56 a.m. Saturday. That timing means the immediate confirmation fight is over, but the oversight fight is likely to continue through hearings, letters and future funding debates.
