Overview
- The Senate approved Blanche’s nomination by a 50–49 vote, with Sen. Bill Cassidy casting the decisive yes and Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joining every Democrat in opposition.
- Blanche was sworn in at a closed Oval Office ceremony on Monday by Judge Emil Bove, a former colleague from the president’s legal team.
- To secure Republican support he issued brief written orders rescinding a proposed $1.8 billion 'anti‑weaponization' fund and narrowing language in an IRS settlement, but legal experts and opponents say those fixes could be vulnerable in court.
- His elevation deepens bipartisan concern about politicization because he served as President Trump’s personal lawyer, oversaw high‑profile prosecutions including one against James Comey, and presided over contested releases of Epstein‑related records.
- Blanche takes over a department strained by mass departures, survivor and former‑DOJ opposition, and stepped‑up judicial and congressional scrutiny that will shape how his orders and priorities hold up in coming litigation and oversight reviews.