Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she will oppose Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, narrowing the confirmation path for President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department.
The Alaska senator said she’s concerned the Trump administration could proceed with its proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate Jan. 6 rioters even though Blanche has issued a formal order terminating it.
Meanwhile, Trump said Thursday he was signing two executive actions on immigration: one limiting the number of people eligible for U.S. citizenship after being born in the United States and the other focused on stopping people from coming to the U.S. to give birth. It’s a sign that even after Trump’s first attempt at limiting birthright citizenship was rejected by the Supreme Court, he’s ready to try again.
Here’s the latest:
Trump says he’d leave Blanche as acting AG whatever the Senate decides
The president told Punchbowl News he’ll leave his acting attorney general at the Justice Department even if his nomination fails.
“It’ll be very sad,” Trump said, but, “we’ll all survive. Todd will survive.”
Trump called Blanche “fair” and said he’s “not a radical flamethrower.” But he acknowledged the political realities.
He singled out Sen. Murkowski as one of his Republican critics but said he has no regrets about his relationship with the Alaska Republican or other GOP senators, including Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy, who could now determine whether Blanche is confirmed.
“You do what you have to do,” Trump said. “Just so you understand, they voted to impeach me. … In all fairness, you think that I’m going to support somebody that voted to impeach me?”
Cassidy and Murkowski were among the Republicans who voted to convict Trump on impeachment charges in 2021 after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she’ll oppose Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination
The Alaska Republican announced on social media that she’ll vote against confirming the acting attorney general for the permanent job.
Murkowski complimented Blanche personally after private meetings with him but said she’s concerned he cannot lead an independent Justice Department under President Donald Trump.
“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,” she said. “I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.”
Murkowski’s decision puts Blanche’s nomination on the brink of failing in a chamber where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. She joins Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine in opposition, and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has missed Senate votes since early June because of health problems.
That leaves Sen. Bill Cassidy as the potentially deciding vote given that all Democrats are expected to vote against Blanche.
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