A Republican senator decided against blocking the attorney general nomination for President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer because he was the least bad option.
The extraordinary admission by Sen. Bill Cassidy came after he confirmed he was in favor of the nomination and virtually guaranteed Todd Blanche would win enough votes to become America’s legal chief.
Cassidy’s decision came after two Republican women—Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski—sided with Democrats and said they would not support Trump’s attack dog lawyer, who has been the acting attorney general since Pam Bondi’s departure.
“Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this,” said the Louisiana lawmaker. “But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche; it is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump, and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche.”
Cassidy acknowledged that he believed Blanche had shown “poor judgment” in helping the president to create a $1.8 billion slush fund deal that would benefit people claiming they were unfairly treated by previous administrations.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Cassidy said: “Mr. Blanche said these were mistakes and he has made efforts to kill the slush fund.”
He seemed to be emotional, but it was unclear why. “This is not a referendum on President Trump,” he said. “It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances. All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche.”
Cassidy’s decision will likely put to rest speculation over the importance of Mitch McConnell’s vote in the Blanche confirmation. It will also avoid a major humiliation for Trump, who had insisted his former personal attorney was the right person for the job, despite complaints about the slush fund and Blanche’s handling of the Epstein files release.
McConnell has not voted in the Senate since his June 14 fall at his Washington home. In a statement on Thursday, McConnell said he had returned home from the hospital and would continue his recovery while working remotely.
After Cassidy’s about-face, Democrat Sen. Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said of the reasoning that there could have been a worse choice, “That’s no reason to vote for someone who is bad.”
“I don’t think that holds water,” he added, saying that he believed Republicans would regret confirming “an agent of vengeance.”
Coons told CNN he thinks Blanche will be serving Trump’s best interests and not the best interests of America.
It has been an uncomfortable path to the nomination for Blanche. Two Republicans, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, threatened to derail Trump’s pick at the committee stage only to capitulate at the last minute after pressure from the White House.
After Cassidy revealed his decision on Friday morning, a White House spokesperson said: “This is great news, and we look forward to his final confirmation shortly. Todd Blanche has done an excellent job as acting Attorney General and will continue doing so as Attorney General. Todd Blanche is an American patriot who has played a critical role at the Department of Justice in advocating for sanity, law and order, and policies that keep Americans safe.”
