美国参议院周六凌晨以50票对49票的极微弱多数确认了托德·布兰奇担任司法部长[1]。布兰奇是特朗普的前私人律师，已以代理身份领导司法部[1]。这次确认投票经历了激烈的争执，共和党参议员苏珊·柯林斯和丽莎·穆尔考斯基投了反对票，所有民主党议员也反对[1][2]。
布兰奇的提名陷入困境的主要原因是司法部提议的1.8亿美元"反武器化基金"补偿方案，以及对特朗普及其家庭成员国税局审计的豁免问题[1][2]。参议员穆尔考斯基表示该基金可能奖励1月6日抗议者[2]。为打破僵局，约翰·科尼恩和汤姆·蒂利斯要求布兰奇提供书面确认，承诺司法部将放弃该补偿基金并限制税务审计豁免条款，布兰奇随后做出了此承诺[1][2]。
路易斯安那州共和党参议员比尔·卡西迪投出了关键性支持票[1]。卡西迪此前表示需要确信"布兰奇是一位恰好曾担任特朗普总统私人律师的司法部长，而不是如今成为司法部长的特朗普总统私人律师"[3]。伊利诺伊州民主党参议员迪克·德宾反对布兰奇的提名，称这是"严重错误"[1]。
The U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general with a razor-thin margin of 50 votes to 49 in an early-morning vote on Saturday. [1] Blanche, former personal lawyer to Donald Trump, has been serving in an acting capacity leading the Department of Justice. [1]
The confirmation followed weeks of contentious debate centered on two primary controversies. [1] The first involved a proposed $180 million "anti-weaponization fund" within the Justice Department, which Senator Lisa Murkowski warned could potentially benefit January 6 protesters. [2] The second controversy concerned proposed tax audit exemptions for Trump and his family members. [1] To secure support, Blanche made written commitments that the Justice Department would abandon the compensation fund and restrict the scope of tax audit exemptions. [1]
Two Republican senators voted against confirmation: Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. [1] Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana emerged as a critical swing vote, announcing his support on Friday morning after previously expressing reservations about whether Blanche would prioritize the presidency over personal loyalty to Trump. [3] Cassidy stated: "I've got to be convinced that he is an attorney general who just happens to have once been President Trump's personal attorney, as opposed to President Trump's personal attorney who is now the attorney general." [3] All Democratic senators opposed the nomination, with Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois calling the confirmation a "grave mistake." [1]