By Opeyemi Adelakun
The United States Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, as the country’s attorney general despite strong opposition from Democrats, who accused the administration of politicising the Department of Justice.
Blanche was approved by a 50–49 vote on Saturday, securing the confirmation with the backing of the Republican-controlled Senate.
He had already been serving as acting attorney general and becomes the permanent holder of the office after months of controversy over his close ties to Trump and his previous role as the president’s private defence lawyer.
Trump has described Blanche as a “star”, while Democrats have argued that his appointment raises concerns about the independence of the Justice Department.
Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the attorney general should serve the public rather than a president.
“The attorney general is supposed to be the people’s lawyer,” Durbin said.
“Mr Blanche continues to operate as the president’s personal lawyer, treating the Justice Department like a law firm serving one client — the president.”
Blanche’s confirmation had faced uncertainty after some Republican senators raised concerns about proposals associated with his nomination.
One of the contentious issues was a proposed $1.8 billion fund described by Trump as compensation for victims of politically motivated prosecutions. Critics argued that the scheme could benefit people convicted over the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
Another controversial proposal involved granting Trump immunity from tax audits.
Blanche eventually eased opposition within the Republican Party by issuing a written order over the weekend that scrapped the proposed “political anti-weaponisation fund”.
He also clarified that an agreement concerning tax-audit immunity for Trump, his two eldest sons and the Trump Organization would apply only retroactively to previous tax years and would not cover future tax filings.
Blanche has been acting attorney general since April, when Trump dismissed Pam Bondi, another political ally of the president.
Since taking charge of the Justice Department, Blanche has faced criticism over what Democrats describe as a campaign of political retribution against Trump’s opponents.
His handling of investigative files involving convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has also attracted criticism from some Epstein victims.
Before joining the Justice Department, Blanche was one of Trump’s most prominent lawyers.
He represented the president during his New York criminal trial involving allegations over “hush money” payments to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels.
Blanche was also part of Trump’s legal defence teams in two federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The cases concerned allegations that Trump mishandled classified documents after leaving office and attempted to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Both federal cases were subsequently dropped after Trump returned to the White House following his victory in the 2024 presidential election.
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