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Todd Blanche sworn in as attorney general after tight Senate vote
Blanche replaces acting leadership after a 50-49 confirmation that left some lawmakers, including two Republicans, warning about politicization of the Justice Department.
Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, was sworn in as attorney general on Monday after the Senate confirmed him in a narrow 50-49 vote following a bruising confirmation fight that drew bipartisan concerns about the Justice Department’s direction under the Republican president, according to the SCMP Economy. Emil Bove, a former Trump lawyer now serving as a federal appeals court judge, administered the oath at the White House. Shortly afterward, the newly sworn-in attorney general arrived at Justice Department headquarters to cheers from employees lined up along the entrance. Blanche, a former federal prosecutor in New York, is taking formal command of a department he has led in an acting capacity since Pam Bondi’s firing in April. He is stepping into an agency that has faced departures, firings, and resignations, and he is also confronting increasing pushback from the courts. With the confirmation battle behind him, Blanche is expected to navigate demands from a president who has publicly signaled an interest in using the Justice Department to pursue political foes, the article notes. Two Republicans who voted against the nomination cited concerns that the department is becoming more politicized under Trump.