Embattled attorney general nominee Todd Blanche secured his 50th Senate vote from Sen. Bill Cassidy, teeing him up to be confirmed as soon as Friday.
“This is not a referendum on President Trump,” Cassidy said from the Senate floor. “It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche. … All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche.”
The Louisiana Republican’s support is a major win for President Donald Trump and Blanche, who is serving as acting attorney general and was nominated nearly two months ago to permanently replace ousted predecessor Pam Bondi.
Securing those votes was no easy feat as Blanche, and his White House allies had to cajole a slate of wary Senate Republicans, who privately unloaded on Blanche over the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” he helped broker as part of a settlement between Trump and the IRS.
