Todd Blanche is narrowly confirmed as Trump's attorney general in an overnight Senate vote

WASHINGTON - The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in a vote early Saturday, cementing the command of President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer at a Department of Justice that Trump has sought to bend to his will. The Republican-led Senate voted 50-49 to make Blanche the second confirmed attorney general since Trump returned to the White House last year with a stated desire to use the law enforcement agency to investigate his political enemies. While Blanche has already been leading the department in an acting capacity, his confirmation could free him to pursue the administration's agenda even more aggressively. Blanche said on social media that he was "deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me," adding that he was "grateful" to senators for working late to confirm him. The vote followed a tumultuous confirmation fight that exposed deep concerns -- from some Republicans as well as Democrats -- about installing Trump's close ally atop a Justice Department that historically prided itself on its independence from the White House. In the end, Blanche was confirmed by the narrowest of margins, opposed by two Republicans -- Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska -- and by every Democrat. The path to confirmation for Blanche was unusually rocky, due in large part to Republican concerns about a controversial settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the IRS. Under pressure, Blanche publicly promised in writing that the department would abandon Trump's proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund for the president's allies, including those who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and rein in another piece of the settlement designed to shield Trump and his family from IRS tax audits. His appeals were enough to win over Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, the decisive vote who threw his support behind Blanche on Friday morning. Cassidy said no other nominee may be able to run the department better under Trump and suggested Blanche's role as Trump's former criminal defense lawyer can make him more effective at pushing back on the Republican president's demands. "This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances," said Cassidy, who lost his primary this year to a Trump-backed challenger. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said confirming Blanche would be a "serious mistake." He begged his colleagues not to be on the "wrong side" of history. "If there is ever a moment in history when we need an Attorney General above reproach, who is clearly dedicated to ending corruption, even at the highest level of our government, it's right now," Durbin said. The vote capped off a bruising confirmation fight, with Blanche's loyalty to Trump at the center of the stalemate. Blanche was elevated to the top Justice Department post in an acting capacity after Trump fired Pam Bondi in April. Blanche moved swiftly to advance the president's interests, accelerating investigations into Trump's perceived foes and announcing the settlement that created the $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" to compensate people who feel mistreated by the criminal justice system and provided Trump and family members with immunity from tax audits. The controversial settlement threatened to torpedo Blanche's nomination until he formally rescinded the fund in writing under pressure from Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Even after the deal, Blanche faced opposition from some Republican senators concerned with the settlement fund and the tax audit immunity. Murkowski announced early Friday that she would join Collins in opposing Blanche's nomination, saying the country needs an attorney general "who will check the worst impulses of this administration." Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Judiciary Committee chairman, gave a full-throated endorsement of Blanche ahead of voting, saying he's led the Justice Department with distinction. "Mr. Blanche is the right choice," said Grassley, R-Iowa.