Politics

Cassidy Casts Deciding Vote to Confirm Blanche as Attorney General

A single Republican senator's crossover vote secured Todd Blanche's confirmation, while Cassidy's public statements signal he views the administration's anti-weaponization review process as...

The Congressional Times · August 9, 2026

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) cast what he described as the decisive vote to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General of the United States, according to Cassidy's own statements made August 10, 2026, on CBS News' 'Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.' Cassidy characterized the confirmation decision as one that was 'not a black-or-white' choice, indicating he weighed competing considerations before supporting Blanche's nomination. The Senate confirmation vote count and the full roll call record are available through the Senate's official voting archive at senate.gov, which would show the precise margin by which Blanche was confirmed.

Blanche, who previously served as a private defense attorney and represented former President Donald Trump in federal criminal proceedings in the Southern District of New York and the Southern District of Florida, was nominated to lead the Department of Justice. His prior representation of Trump was a central point of Democratic opposition during the confirmation process, as noted in Senate Judiciary Committee hearing transcripts published on congress.gov.

In the same CBS News interview, Cassidy stated he is 'convinced the process to reinstate the proposed anti-weaponization' review 'effectively is dead.' The anti-weaponization review referenced pertains to a DOJ initiative proposed in connection with the administration's stated priorities; the specific internal DOJ order or directive governing that review has not been publicly released as of August 9, 2026. A DOJ press release or Federal Register notice would be the document most likely to confirm or deny the review's current status.

Cassidy's vote drew attention because, as a Republican senator who has previously broken with his party on high-profile votes — including his vote to convict former President Trump in the 2021 Senate impeachment trial, as recorded in the Senate Journal for February 13, 2021 — his support was not guaranteed by party affiliation alone. Whether other Republican senators expressed reservations about the Blanche nomination is not confirmed in available public records; Senate floor statements and Judiciary Committee vote tallies would clarify the breadth of any intra-party dissent.

What remains unknown is the specific final Senate vote tally confirming Blanche, the full text of any anti-weaponization directive that Cassidy referenced as 'effectively dead,' and whether Blanche has outlined any recusal plans regarding matters connected to former clients. The Senate roll call vote record, DOJ internal policy documents subject to FOIA, and Blanche's Senate-submitted questionnaire responses — available through the Senate Judiciary Committee's public record — would answer those outstanding questions.

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