As Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation appeared headed for sure defeat, one on-the-fence Senate Republican gave him, and President Donald Trump, a vital lifeline.Â
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., has remained quiet throughout this and last week on how he would vote on Blanche, who barely survived his confirmation vote from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Now, after conversations with Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ), the pieces are in place to confirm Blanche.Â
“I will vote for Mr. Blanche,” an emotional Cassidy said on the Senate floor. “I’ll be criticized for this vote. What’s new? But the people of Louisiana can be assured that I worked hard to understand the issue and to make the right decision.”Â
With Cassidy’s green light, Blanche has a chance, even with Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., missing in action. But to be confirmed, Senate Republicans will need an assist from Vice President JD Vance. Still, its unclear whether the Senate will actually vote on Blanche on Friday, which could be the upper chambers grand finale of the summer before it exits Washington, D.C., for the remainder of August.
Cassidy explained that after a series of conversations with Blanche and former DOJ officials, including former Attorney General Bill Barr, he reached the conclusion to support Trump’s pick, even after having sparred with the president since being ousted from office by him earlier this year.Â
He contended that Blanche has been “criticized for things over which he has no control,” like Trump’s pardons of Jan. 6, 2021, rioters who stormed Capitol Hill, but was still leery of his role in the nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund, which the president has signaled he wants to revive.Â
But he argued it would be better to have an attorney general confirmed by the Senate that could, if needed, stare down Trump on issues.Â
“I am realistic that President Trump can be unrelenting on this, but this will be true no matter who the attorney general is,” Cassidy said. “And this is the rationale for having a Senate-confirmed attorney general with more leverage to push back.”
TRUMP’S AG PICK SURVIVES â FOR NOW â AS REPUBLICANS QUESTION IF WHITE HOUSE DEAL WILL HOLD
It comes after Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced that she would not support Blanches nomination to be the nations top prosecutor and law enforcement official, dealing another blow to his rocky confirmation process.
Her defection, despite a heavy lobbying effort by Blanche that saw him make the trek to Alaska, means that Senate Republican leadership cant afford to lose any more votes to get him across the finish line, given that Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., though now back home, has still not returned to the Senate.
Murkowski acknowledged Blanches visit to Alaska and heavy lobbying effort throughout the last few weeks, but its his connection to President nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund, and broader concerns of a weaponized Justice Department, that proved the nail in the coffin for her.
“The politicization â even weaponization â of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it,” Murkowski said in a statement. “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 <a href="https://foxnews.com/category/politics
