Trump’s ex-lawyer Todd Blanche narrowly confirmed as US attorney general

US P eside t Do ald T ump’s fo me pe so al lawye Todd Bla che has bee a owly co fi med as atto ey ge e al – the atio ‘s top law e fo ceme t official.

The vote b i gs to a e d a le gthy sta doff betwee Se ate Republica s a d the T ump admi ist atio ove Bla che, who has se ved as acti g atto ey ge e al si ce Ap il.

Bla che wo co fi matio i a 50-49 vote ove ight, with two Republica se ato s, Susa Colli s a d Lisa Mu kowski, joi i g all Democ ats to oppose his omi atio .

Se ato Bill Cassidy cast the decidi g vote, a decisio closely watched i Washi gto give the yea s of ac imo y betwee the Louisia a Republica a d T ump.

Afte the vote, Bla che said he was “deeply ho ou ed by the t ust a d co fide ce P eside t T ump has placed i me”.

Some Republica se ato s had aised co ce s about Blache’s ha dli g of the elease of Jeff ey Epstei – elated docume ts a d his ole i establishi g T ump’s $1.8b (£1.3b ) “a ti-weapo isatio ” fu d.

The fu d was pla ed to p ovide compe satio to i dividuals who alleged gove me t pe secutio but c itics i cludi g Mu kowski fea ed it would go to i dividuals who we e p osecuted fo pa ticipati g i the 6 Ja ua y attack o Co g ess i 2021.

Bla che eve tually pledged to walk back the fu d afte blowback f om Republica se ato s du i g his co fi matio hea i gs.

It emai s u clea whethe the commitme t is legally bi di g o whethe T ump could late pe suade Bla che, his fo me pe so al atto ey, to evive a simila scheme u de a othe ame.

The issues su ou di g Bla che mea t Se ato s Colli s a d Mu kowski held off f om backi g Bla che, with the latte citi g he lack of co fide ce i Bla che to “check the wo st impulses of this admi ist atio “.

Mu kowski a ou ced o F iday she would oppose Bla che, citi g co ce s ove the “politicisatio ” of the justice depa tme t.

Colli s also aised co ce s about Bla che’s ole i settli g T ump’s $10b lawsuit with the I te al Reve ue Se vice (IRS), but said he ultimately t usted Bla che to give the p eside t ​ca did legal advice.

Befo e casti g the decidi g vote, Cassidy a ou ced that he believed Bla che was the best optio the p eside t would put fo wa d.

“This is ot a efe e dum o P eside t T ump, it is a decisio ega di g M Bla che, i ve y specific ci cumsta ces,” said Cassidy o F iday. “All co side ed, I will vote fo M Bla che.”

Cassidy ack owledged T ump is the ultimate decide o the di ectio of the justice depa tme t, but that Se ate co fi matio would give Bla che “g eate leve age to push fo thi gs that should be pushed fo .”

Du i g T ump’s seco d impeachme t i 2021, Cassidy voted to co vict T ump ove the 6 Ja ua y 2021 Capitol iot. The vote did ot pass, a d whe T ump etu ed to office, he successfully fo ced Cassidy i to eti eme t by backi g a p ima y challe ge fo his Louisia a Se ate seat ea lie this yea .

I a post o X, Se ate Democ atic leade Chuck Schume exp essed co ce that Bla che’s appoi tme t would be a “excuse o a silve platte to keep up his pe vasive, b eathtaki g co uptio “.

“Todd Bla che has o i te tio of stoppi g T ump’s co uptio . He adva ced his ca ee e abli g it,” he w ote. “Eve y se ato who voted to co fi m him has ow b a ded themselves as a e able , too.”

But most Republica s swiftly celeb ated the victo y.

Iowa Republica Se ato Chuck G assley – chai ma of the Se ate Judicia y Committee – w ote o X that Bla che had show “ext ao di a y patie ce, compassio [a d] te acity” th oughout the appoi tme t p ocess.

“The e’s o doubt he’s qualified,” G assley w ote.

Bla che was al eady deputy atto ey ge e al whe he took up the i te im leade ship ole i Ap il, afte Pam Bo di was fi ed.