WASHINGTON—Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said on Friday that he will back Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general, likely paving the way for Blanche's confirmation to lead President Donald Trump's Justice Department.
The Louisiana senator announced his support on the Senate floor after Blanche's confirmation was thrown into doubt over opposition from two other Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.
Cassidy said Blanche “is not perfect," citing concerns over a proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate Trump allies, a tax audit immunity deal for the Republican president, and investigations targeting the president's political opponents.
But Cassidy said no other nominee may be able to run the department better under Trump, and he added that Blanche's role as Trump's former criminal defense lawyer can make him more effective at pushing back on the president's demands.
“This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances," Cassidy said. Cassidy, who lost his Republican primary after Trump endorsed his rival, appeared to choke up as he described the criticism he expected to face for his Blanche vote, adding: “What’s new?”
Murkowski had cited her lack of confidence in Blanche to "check the worst impulses of this administration".
"I take issue with the handling of the release of the Epstein files; the sweeping immunity protections granted to the President, his family, and their businesses; the statements that have been made to anti-abortion groups; and the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. Senators," Murkowski said in a post on social media platform X.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Murkowski’s decision “disappointing” but said the White House was not surprised.
The U.S. Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said earlier this week she would vote against Blanche's nomination, while a small number of other senators have also expressed concerns.
Senate Republican leader John Thune said he wanted to confirm Blanche before the chamber leaves Washington for a month-long recess scheduled to begin this week.
Blanche persuaded Republican holdouts John Cornyn and Thom Tillis to support him by pledging in writing that Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund was dead and that a related tax-immunity deal applied only to past tax returns.
Both arose from a settlement of Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS.
Democrats have accused Blanche of prioritizing his loyalty to Trump above all else through investigations against Trump foes such as former FBI Director James Comey and a radical reshaping of a department that historically prided itself on its independence from the White House. Under Bondi and Blanche’s leadership, the department has lost thousands of employees through firings, resignations or voluntary departures.
Blanche’s supporters say his experience as a federal prosecutor and the trust he earned from Trump in the courtroom make him better equipped than his predecessor, Pam Bondi, to explain to the White House the legal constraints of its demands. Republicans have also touted his efforts to bring down violent crime, tackle illegal immigration and combat violent cartels and drug trafficking.
The vote would be the culmination of weeks of negotiations between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration over Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general since April and previously ran day-to-day Justice Department operations as its second-ranking official.