Todd Blanche's confirmation as attorney general strikes worries over US Justice independence

By Gael Camba & AFP Published on 09/08/2026 - 9:22 GMT+2 Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp After risking his career defending Donald Trump in a criminal trial, Todd Blanche was confirmed as US attorney general, raising fears over the US Justice Department's independence. The US Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Todd Blanche as attorney general early Saturday, cementing Trump's sought-after power over the Department of Justice. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Blanche, who has already been serving as the top US law enforcement officer in an acting capacity, represented Trump as his private attorney in several criminal trials before entering government. The Senate, which Republicans narrowly control, confirmed him by 50 votes to 49. Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined the Democrats in voting no, underlining the political sensitivity over the nomination. Blanche is the second confirmed attorney general since Trump returned to the White House last year with a stated desire to use the law enforcement agency to investigate his political enemies. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Wednesday, 5 August 2026 in Washington. 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Blanche said he was "deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me to lead the Department of Justice." "I am grateful to the Senate for staying late to complete this process. To the dedicated public servants of the Department of Justice, thank you for your work each day to uphold the law and keep our country safe," Blanche wrote on X. Trump, who has upended US political norms by seeking to bring nominally independent government agencies under his increasingly direct control, calls Blanche a "star." Deep concerns over independence The vote followed a tumultuous confirmation fight that exposed deep concerns — from some Republicans as well as Democrats — about installing Trump’s close ally atop a Justice Department that historically prided itself on its independence from the White House. Democrats opposed Blanche from the beginning, accusing Trump of turning the Department of Justice into a political weapon. "The attorney general is supposed to be the people's lawyer," Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Tuesday. "Mr Blanche continues to operate as the president's personal lawyer, treating the Justice Department like a law firm serving one client — the president." US President Donald Trump sitting next to lawyer Todd Blanche, attends his trial for covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs, 23 April 2024. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. There were doubts over whether the White House could persuade a handful of Republican holdouts, without whom even the narrow confirmation would have been impossible. The main sticking point was an attempt to establish a $1.8 billion (€1.5bn) fund for what Trump calls victims of politicized prosecutions, likely including the rioters who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 in an attempted insurrection to prevent Joe Biden from being certified as president, after he had defeated Trump in the 2020 election. The other main issue was an extraordinary proposal granting immunity to Trump from tax audits. 'Retribution' campaign Blanche ultimately defused the internal party opposition with a written order over the weekend scrapping the so-called political "anti-weaponization fund" and saying that the audit immunity agreement with Trump, his two eldest sons, and the Trump Organization would only apply "retroactively" to the past tax years and not future filings. Blanche has been serving as acting attorney general since Trump fired Pam Bondi, another political loyalist, in April. Since then, he has been closely tied to what Democrats dub a Trump "retribution" campaign against the 80-year-old president's opponents. Blanche has also come in for criticism from victims of Jeffrey Epstein over the handling of the release of investigative files about the convicted sex offender, a one-time close friend of Trump. Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Blanche represented Trump in his New York trial over alleged "hush money" paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. He was also on the legal defense team in two federal cases brought against Trump by special counsel Jack Smith — for allegedly mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House, and for seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Both cases were dropped after Trump won the 2024 election. Go to accessibility shortcuts Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Read more US appeals court orders halt to Trump ballroom construction without congressional approval Trump administration to pay €1.06 billion to cancel RWE offshore wind leases Trump dismisses reports of munitions shortages, says US has 'massive amounts' Donald Trump Justice US Senate