Sen. Cassidy Backs Todd Blanche, Steadying AG Nomination
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy's support for Todd Blanche gives Trump's attorney general pick the votes needed to survive a floor confirmation.
Todd Blanche, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, appeared to be on firmer ground after securing a critical vote from Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. The support effectively rescues a nomination that had faced meaningful resistance within the GOP caucus, illustrating how razor-thin the margins remain for Trump's cabinet confirmations in a closely divided Senate.
Blanche, who previously served as Trump's personal criminal defense attorney, must clear the full Senate floor after advancing out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Under current procedural rules, confirmation requires at least 50 votes — meaning Republican leadership can afford virtually no defections, particularly given the near-even partisan split in the chamber.
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Cassidy's decision carries particular weight given his prior willingness to break with party leadership; he was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial. His endorsement of Blanche signals that, whatever reservations individual GOP members may harbor about the nominee's background representing the president in criminal proceedings, the coalition needed for confirmation appears to be coalescing.
The episode underscores a broader dynamic shaping Trump's second-term cabinet-building: each high-profile nominee faces a delicate whip operation in which a single senator's public stance can determine the outcome. For an administration seeking to move quickly on personnel, the Blanche confirmation fight offers a preview of the legislative arithmetic that will define its earliest weeks in power.
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