Green Light Rekindled for Trump Loyalist US Attorney General Nominee After Securing Majority Approval

Todd Blanche, a US attorney general nominee who previously served as Donald Trump's personal lawyer, is projected to narrowly win confirmation in the US Senate.

This comes after a Republican senator, who had withheld their stance until the very end, announced on the 7th local time that they would cast a vote in favor.

Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana stated during a floor speech in the Senate, "I will vote in favor of nominee Blanche."

Consequently, Blanche has secured 50 votes in favor—a majority within the Senate Republican caucus—and his confirmation motion is expected to pass by a razor-thin margin.

With all 47 Democratic senators opposed, the key to Blanche's confirmation was whether he could secure 50 affirmative votes from Republican senators.

While Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, the nomination would have been defeated if three members voted against it, as Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky faced uncertainty regarding attendance due to health issues.

The atmosphere in the Senate surrounding Blanche's confirmation had previously been described as a roller coaster.

Although the confirmation motion passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on the 4th and moved to the full Senate, it hit a major roadblock when Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, expressed her opposition.

Furthermore, earlier that morning, Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, also announced, "Ultimately, I will vote against his confirmation."

Senator Cassidy, who revealed his support at the eleventh hour, is a prominent anti-Trump figure within the Republican party.

Having voted to convict Trump during his impeachment trial following the January 6 Capitol riot in 2021, Cassidy was labeled a traitor by Trump and was defeated in the Louisiana Republican primary last May.

Because he was essentially forced into political retirement, many observers speculated that he might retaliate by opposing Trump's nomination of Blanche.

However, Cassidy stated on the Senate floor, "President Trump and I have history, but that does not matter at all," adding that even if Blanche is not a flawless candidate, there is no guarantee that another attorney general nominee would be any better.

He specifically remarked, "This is not a vote of confidence in President Trump," and added, "My decision will be criticized, but that is nothing new."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.