--- title: Cassidy to Support Trump-Backed Blanche for Attorney General description: Blanche needed Cassidy’s support for his pending Senate confirmation after two prominent Republican Senators publicly declared they were unwilling to back him. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/08/07/blanche-confirmation-attorney-general-republicans-murkowski-revolt-trump-pick/ author: Tiago Ventura article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-08-07T13:36:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-07T15:16:25.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Cassidy to Support Trump-Backed Blanche for Attorney General og:description: Blanche needed Cassidy’s support for his pending Senate confirmation after two prominent Republican Senators publicly declared they were unwilling to back him. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/08/07/blanche-confirmation-attorney-general-republicans-murkowski-revolt-trump-pick/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac6ec454339e9358/6a75f68d0208b875163858e4/GettyImages-2286707112.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 8192 og:image:height: 4608 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2286707112.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Cassidy to Support Trump-Backed Blanche for Attorney General twitter:description: Blanche needed Cassidy’s support for his pending Senate confirmation after two prominent Republican Senators publicly declared they were unwilling to back him. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac6ec454339e9358/6a75f68d0208b875163858e4/GettyImages-2286707112.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Cassidy Says He'll Support Blanche for Attorney General, Offering Lifeline to Trump's Nominee > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/) and [Olivia-Anne Cleary](https://time.com/author/olivia-anne-cleary/) Updated: Aug 7, 2026 3:16 PM UTCPublished: Aug 7, 2026 1:36 PM UTC  Sen. Bill Cassidy at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on July 23, 2026. Sen. Bill Cassidy at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on July 23, 2026. Nathan Posner—Getty Images by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/) and [Olivia-Anne Cleary](https://time.com/author/olivia-anne-cleary/) Updated: Aug 7, 2026 3:16 PM UTCPublished: Aug 7, 2026 1:36 PM UTC Republican Sen.[ Bill Cassidy](https://time.com/article/2026/05/15/cassidy-louisiana-senate-republican-primary-trump-letlow-fleming/) of Louisiana announced Friday he'll vote in favor of confirming [Todd Blanche](https://time.com/article/2026/08/05/trump-tax-audit-immunity-shield-blanche-irs-settlement/) for Attorney General, offering a lifeline to President [Donald Trump](https://time.com/article/2026/08/07/trump-executive-orders-birth-tourism-birthright-citizenship/)’s nominee. In an address on the Senate floor, Cassidy acknowledged Blanche "is not perfect," but argued no one is, and suggested another nominee may not fare any better. Cassidy lost his re-election primary in May to a Trump-backed candidate, but he emphasized his personal relationship with the President was irrelevant. "This process should be about Mr. Blanche and how he will go forward in a difficult job, and how the American people can be best served," he said. "I have a history with Mr. Trump, but that history does not matter one bit." Admitting he still has some concerns regarding Blanche, Cassidy said the nominee "showed poor judgment in approving the anti-weaponization slush fund and exempting the President from IRS audits." Blanche needed Cassidy’s support for his pending Senate confirmation after two prominent Republican Senators publicly declared they were unwilling to back him. The path toward confirmation for the acting Attorney General looked increasingly difficult in a Senate where Republicans hold a slim [53-47 majority.](https://www.senate.gov/history/partydiv.htm) The Republican margin was further complicated by the[ weeks-long absence](https://time.com/article/2026/07/29/andy-beshear-mitch-mcconnell-resign-fitness-letter-kentucky/) of Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who remains away from public duties as he recovers from a hospital stay prompted by a fall. In the hours before Cassidy's statement, GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska announced her intention to vote against the confirmation of[ Blanche](https://time.com/article/2026/08/05/trump-tax-audit-immunity-shield-blanche-irs-settlement/), who formerly served as Trump's personal attorney. Despite several “constructive meetings” with Blanche, Murkowski determined she could not support the[ nomination](https://time.com/article/2026/08/03/blanche-wins-gop-backing-after-rescinding-anti-weaponization-fund-/), stating that while the “politicization—even weaponization—of the \[Justice\] Department” did not start with the Trump Administration, it has “accelerated” during it. “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](https://x.com/lisamurkowski/status/2085667540265504961). The Alaska lawmaker also factored in Trump’s planned “[anti-weaponization” fund](https://time.com/article/2026/05/18/trump-doj-anti-weaponization-fund-irs-lawsuit-settlement/), citing she was aware it is “only off the table because this nomination is pending and the Senate has leverage.” The fund has been a point of contention across party aisles due to concerns the payouts to those who the Trump Administration claims were unfairly persecuted by the government could extend to people who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, [Capitol riots.](https://time.com/6301285/january-6-capitol-trauma-trump-arraignment/) Blanche on Aug. 2 persuaded former GOP holdouts Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina to support his confirmation by [assuring them, in writing,](https://x.com/dagtoddblanche/status/2084114427813437897?s=46) that the “anti-weaponization” fund had been rescinded. But for Murkowski, it was not enough to sway her vote. “I will oppose his nomination,” she[ said](https://x.com/lisamurkowski/status/2085667540265504961). “The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this Administration. I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in an emailed statement to TIME, referred to Murkowski's decision as "disappointing" and said Blanche is "exceptionally qualified and should be confirmed as the next Attorney General of the United States, so the Administration can continue to keep America safe." GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced her own opposing vote on Tuesday, [saying](https://x.com/SenatorCollins/status/2084757125746594298) that while she views Blanche as a “capable lawyer,” she is concerned the DOJ “has become increasingly political” and believes Blanche himself has “taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence.” Murkowski and Collins, who is facing a [tough re-election](https://time.com/article/2026/07/23/the-moment-that-explains-why-troy-jackson-has-democrats-spooked/) race in the November midterms, have often broken ranks with the President. In recent weeks, they have [voted to limit Trump’s ability](https://time.com/article/2026/07/31/republicans-break-ranks-attempt-to-limit-trump-iran-war-powers/) to continue the Iran war without congressional authorization. Trump publicly criticized Murkoswki just a day before she announced her decision on Blanche. “I am against Murkowski,” he [said](https://youtu.be/T9omos50y8k?list=TLPQMDcwODIwMjatTsBCUzm3SQ&t=657) in an interview, when asked about the possibility of the lawmaker opposing his nominee. “I do more for Alaska than any President in history. No President has done for Alaska what I've done. 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