Cassidy backs Blanche, confirming Justice Department leader

Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said Friday he will vote to confirm Todd Blanche as the next U.S. attorney general, giving Blanche the Republican votes he needs to take the helm at the Justice Department. “All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche,” Cassidy told reporters outside the Senate chamber, ending weeks of suspense over whether the GOP would unite behind a nominee dogged by ethics questions and partisan opposition. His support, combined with solid Democratic backing, means the 52–47 confirmation vote expected next week is now a near-certainty.

The breakthrough follows months of behind-the-scenes lobbying by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who pressed Republicans to fall in line despite concerns about Blanche’s past work as a Trump White House lawyer and his role in the effort to overturn the 2020 election. McConnell argued that the DOJ needs steady leadership after years of turmoil and that rejecting a qualified nominee over political baggage would set a risky precedent. Cassidy’s shift came after the White House agreed to share additional ethics documents and pledged greater transparency about White House interactions with DOJ officials during the Trump administration.

Blanche, a former federal prosecutor and White House counsel, has been a lightning rod since his nomination in April. Critics point to his appearance in a 2020 memo arguing that then-Vice President Mike Pence could reject electoral votes—an idea later used by some to justify the January 6 riot. Democratic senators have pressed for more disclosures about his ties to Trump-era legal strategies, but have stopped short of filibustering. With Cassidy’s vote locked in, the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to advance the nomination on Monday, clearing the way for a final floor vote before the Memorial Day recess.

The confirmation matters because the Justice Department is still recovering from the turmoil of Trump’s final year in office, when then-Attorney General Bill Barr intervened in politically sensitive cases and encouraged probes into baseless election fraud claims. A stable attorney general is crucial as the DOJ grapples with ongoing probes into January 6, classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, and rising concerns about foreign election interference. If confirmed, Blanche will take charge at a moment when public trust in federal law enforcement remains fragile—and where any perceived politicization risks further eroding confidence in the rule of law.