lawyer, narrowly confirmed as attorney general

Key Points:

• Todd Blanche, former personal lawyer to Donald Trump, has been narrowly confirmed as the US attorney general in a 50-49 Senate vote, ending a prolonged standoff between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration.
• Two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, joined all Democrats in opposing Blanche due to concerns about his handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents and a controversial $1.8bn "anti-weaponisation" fund linked to January 6 Capitol attack prosecutions.
• Blanche pledged to walk back the fund after criticism, though it remains unclear if this commitment is legally binding or if a similar scheme could be revived under a different name.
• Senator Bill Cassidy cast the deciding vote in favor of Blanche, stating that the confirmation was about Blanche specifically and not a referendum on Trump, and expressed confidence that Blanche would provide candid legal advice despite concerns.
• Murkowski opposed Blanche citing fears of politicization in the Justice Department, while Collins, despite reservations, ultimately trusted Blanche to advise the president; Blanche expressed gratitude for Trump's trust following the confirmation.