Buckle up, folks, because this confirmation saga was an absolute circus. Todd Blanche officially became the 88th Attorney General of the United States in a razor-thin 50 to 49 vote that dropped early Saturday morning. Seven grueling months of Republican infighting, backstabbing, and political hostage-taking finally came to an end, as USA Journal reported.
Let's talk about the juicy breakdown. Not a single Democrat voted in favor. Shocker, right? But the real drama was inside the GOP tent. Lisa Murkowski voted against Blanche, dropping a statement claiming she lacked "confidence" he would "check the worst impulses" of the Trump administration. That's basically saying she wanted a Justice Department that works against the very president who nominated the guy. Susan Collins also voted no, because of course she did. Mitch McConnell was absent due to hospitalization.
So who saved the day? Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana stepped up knowing full well he was walking into a political buzzsaw. His floor speech on Friday morning was pure gold. "I will vote for Mr. Blanche. I'll be criticized for this vote. What's new?" the Louisiana senator declared. His logic was simple and devastating. The alternative to confirming Blanche wasn't some fantasy perfect candidate. It was yet another acting AG who could be less qualified and less effective.
Now let's dig into the real mess. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis held the nomination hostage for weeks before the vote, demanding concessions on language related to President Trump's IRS settlement, specifically the Anti-Weaponization Fund designed to compensate Americans targeted during the Biden DOJ era. Blanche's team delivered exactly the clarifying order they requested. Tillis then turned around and voted no anyway. Cornyn voted yes, apparently satisfied he had squeezed out everything possible.
President Trump didn't mince words about the whole spectacle. He called out Cornyn directly, saying the Texas senator was settling a grudge after losing his primary contest to Ken Paxton. That late yes vote from Cornyn doesn't erase weeks of obstruction during a period when America was dealing with military conflict involving Iran and gearing up for critical midterm election integrity efforts.
Blanche himself kept it classy after confirmation, expressing deep gratitude for Trump's trust and promising to work alongside DOJ public servants to uphold the rule of law.
But here's where things get really spicy. His inbox is already overflowing with blockbuster assignments. A contempt referral involving Anthony Fauci is waiting on his desk. Congress sent over a criminal referral regarding Jack Smith. There's a Democratic AG coordination document that's already public record. Election integrity enforcement operations are actively underway. And the anti-weaponization mandate is his responsibility to carry out.
Seven months of delay, largely orchestrated by members of his own party. One vote margin. The confirmation fight is over. Now the real fireworks begin.
Read more conservative news commentary at: USA Journal News
