Todd Blanche’s path to becoming Attorney General just became a lot more uncertain.
Sen. Susan Collins has announced she will vote NO on Blanche’s confirmation, delivering a major blow to Donald Trump’s pick and leaving Republicans with almost no room for error.
With Republicans holding only a narrow majority in the Senate and Mitch McConnell absent due to health issues, Collins’ opposition means Blanche can afford to lose just one more Republican vote if Democrats remain united against him.
And Collins made clear that her decision was not about politics — it was about the direction of the Justice Department.
While calling Blanche a “capable lawyer,” Collins warned that the DOJ under his leadership has become increasingly politicized, pointing to a series of actions she says raise serious concerns:
• Approving protections that shielded Trump, his sons, and the Trump family business from IRS audits — benefits she noted are not available to ordinary Americans.
• Supporting a nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that critics argue could be used to reward Trump allies and pursue political grievances.
• Promising an anti-abortion organization that he would work toward restricting access to abortion medication nationwide.
• Allowing federal prosecutors to pursue charges against sitting Democratic senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin over a video encouraging service members to refuse unlawful orders — speech Collins described as “ill-advised but constitutionally protected.”
Collins also pointed to the unprecedented opposition from more than 1,200 former Justice Department employees who have publicly raised concerns about Blanche’s nomination.
And she is not alone.
Sen. Bill Cassidy expressed his own concerns, questioning whether Blanche could truly separate his role as Trump’s former personal attorney from his responsibility as the nation’s top law enforcement official.
“I have to make sure that is the attorney general who used to be the president’s personal attorney, not the personal attorney who’s also the attorney general,” Cassidy said.
Two other Republicans — John Curtis and Jon Husted — have said they will support Blanche after securing concessions on the controversial anti-weaponization fund.
That leaves the nomination hanging by a thread, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski still undecided.
The fact that Republican senators themselves are raising alarms about whether a Trump Attorney General nominee would protect the independence of the Justice Department should concern every American — regardless of party.
The Attorney General is supposed to serve the Constitution and the country, not one president’s personal interests.
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