Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General in Narrow Vote
FlatRigor 6124 sources
The Story
The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General early Saturday morning in a 50-49 vote, marking one of its final actions before the August recess. Blanche is President Trump's former defense lawyer. This confirmation makes Blanche the second confirmed Attorney General since President Trump returned to the White House last year. His path to office was described as tumultuous, with some Republicans initially holding out. President Trump had previously threatened to keep Blanche as acting attorney general. The vote largely followed party lines, with two Republican Senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, joining Democrats in opposing Blanche's nomination. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was the deciding vote. Concerns were raised over the independence of the office. President Trump calls Blanche a star. Blanche served as President Trump's former personal attorney. The narrow 50-49 vote concluded a process that saw some Republicans express reservations at various stages. The confirmation occurred just before the Senate's scheduled August break.
The Spread
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What they agree on
- Todd Blanche was confirmed as Attorney General by the US Senate.
- The confirmation vote was 50-49.
- The vote occurred early Saturday morning.
- Blanche is President Trump's former personal lawyer or defense lawyer.
- The vote was described as narrow.
Where they split
- Some sources, such as LiveMint and NBC News, explicitly mention the confirmation occurring before the Senate's August recess, while others do not.
- ABC News and The New Yorker specifically name Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins as opposing the nomination, whereas other outlets like The Straits Times and Common Dreams only state that two Republican senators opposed it.
- Common Dreams and The New Yorker identify Senator Bill Cassidy as the deciding vote, a detail not present in all other reports.
- Vanguard News includes President Trump's comment calling Blanche a "star," a detail omitted by most other sources.
- NBC News notes concerns over the independence of the office, a point not universally highlighted across all articles.
Source Perspectives
Left3 sources
Center17 sources