Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General in Overnight Vote as Democrats Erupt

The Todd Blanche confirmation cleared the Senate in the small hours of Saturday morning, handing the Justice Department a permanent leader and setting off a wave of furious reaction from Democrats who had lined up unanimously against him.

Every Democrat in the chamber voted no. It was not enough. Republican numbers carried the nomination through, and Blanche moved from deputy and acting attorney general into the top job outright.

The timing of the vote, well past midnight, became part of the criticism almost immediately.

Why Democrats Opposed the Nomination

Democratic senators built their case largely around Blanche’s record over the previous year at the department.

Three issues surfaced repeatedly in their statements. The first was his oversight of a nearly 1.8 billion dollar fund described as an anti-weaponization initiative, a program that has since been shut down. The second was the department’s handling of files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The third was his position on abortion.

Running beneath all of it was a more fundamental objection: Blanche previously served as President Donald Trump’s personal attorney.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York framed the confirmation as a green light for what he called sweeping corruption within the administration. Writing on social media after the vote, Schumer argued that a president’s personal lawyer cannot credibly be the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, and said no advanced degree in political science was required to see the problem.

He went further, saying Blanche had built his career enabling the conduct in question and that any senator who backed him had accepted the same label.

California Senator Alex Padilla struck a similar note, saying Blanche would always be the president’s lawyer rather than the public’s, and confirming his own no vote.

Delaware Senator Chris Coons argued that Blanche’s loyalties sit not with the law or with the American people, but with shielding the president’s allies and permitting what he described as unprecedented corruption inside the department.

The Epstein Files Became a Central Flashpoint

Of all the objections raised, the Epstein file release generated the sharpest language.

Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen accused Blanche of badly mishandling the release, folding that criticism together with his abortion stance and his history as Trump’s attorney. She said the country deserves an attorney general whose primary loyalty runs to the Constitution rather than to any individual president, and pledged to pursue accountability.

A group of survivors of Epstein’s crimes publicly urged senators to reject the nomination. Their concern centered on privacy. Several said the department failed to redact sensitive information properly when the files were made public, exposing victims to risk during the rollout.

New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Luján echoed that frustration, saying survivors deserve transparency and accountability rather than withheld information or protection for powerful figures. Under Blanche’s leadership, he argued, the department would continue prioritizing the president’s personal and political interests over justice for victims.

House Democrats Pile On Without a Vote

Members of the House have no formal say in executive nominations, but that did not stop them from weighing in.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi of California pointed directly at the overnight timing, saying Republicans had confirmed the president’s personal lawyer under cover of darkness. She argued the public deserves a Justice Department committed to the rule of law rather than one turned into a tool for protecting the president and rewarding his allies.

Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform went a step further, calling on Republican Chairman James Comer of Kentucky to summon Blanche before the committee under oath.

In a joint statement, they accused him of running a cover-up around the Epstein files, of involvement in what they characterized as lenient treatment for Ghislaine Maxwell, of exposing survivors’ identities, and of unlawfully withholding millions of documents. They contended his loyalty lies with Trump and that he would continue to enable corruption.

These are allegations made by lawmakers rather than established findings, and the department has not conceded any of them.

Two Republicans Broke Ranks

The vote was not entirely along party lines.

Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, both regarded as among the more moderate Republicans in the chamber, joined Democrats in opposing the nomination.

Collins explained her position in a statement issued before the vote, describing the atmosphere at the Justice Department during Blanche’s tenure as increasingly political. She said he had taken multiple actions that weakened the department’s independence, and that this concern formed the basis of her opposition.

Collins is a five-term senator currently facing a closely watched reelection fight in Maine, a race that has drawn national attention and considerable outside spending.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky did not participate. He has been absent from Congress since suffering a fall in June.

What Comes Next

Blanche now leads the Justice Department in a permanent capacity, with the authority that comes with Senate confirmation rather than an acting designation.

The pressure points that dominated his confirmation fight are unlikely to fade quickly. The Epstein files remain a live controversy with survivors, lawmakers, and journalists all pressing for further disclosure. Oversight Democrats have signaled they intend to keep pushing for testimony, though whether that materializes depends on committee Republicans who control the schedule.

For supporters, the confirmation represents continuity and a mandate to pursue the administration’s stated priorities without the limbo of an acting title. For opponents, it marks a moment they say will be remembered when the department’s independence is later assessed.

Both readings will be tested over the months ahead, and largely in public.