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Gone quiet · last update Aug 8, 2026 / Todd Blanche

Todd Blanche's confirmation as attorney general

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, became in April 2026 after Pam Bondi's departure and was narrowly confirmed to the job by the Senate in August.[1][2] His nomination stalled in July when two Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, objected to a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund created as part of a deal with Trump, and it moved forward only after Blanche agreed to rescind the fund.[3][4][5] Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted against him.[6][7]

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His nomination stalled in July when two Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, objected to a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund created as part of a deal with Trump, and it moved forward only after Blanche agreed to rescind the fund.[3][4][5] Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted against him.[6][7]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-03-30 (UTC): 14%, 26 of 190 tracked outlets (4 left, 7 center, 15 right)Week of 2026-04-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-01 (UTC): 12%, 22 of 186 tracked outlets (7 left, 8 center, 7 right)Week of 2026-06-08 (UTC): 5%, 9 of 200 tracked outlets (2 left, 5 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-06-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-13 (UTC): 15%, 82 of 559 tracked outlets (21 left, 32 center, 29 right)Week of 2026-07-20 (UTC): 1%, 7 of 562 tracked outlets (3 left, 2 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-07-27 (UTC): 17%, 94 of 561 tracked outlets (20 left, 42 center, 32 right)Week of 2026-08-03 (UTC): 23%, 125 of 537 tracked outlets (30 left, 57 center, 38 right)Week of 2026-08-10 (UTC): 9%, 50 of 545 tracked outlets (9 left, 34 center, 7 right)Week of 2026-08-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings.We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 7 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (8 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Aug 10, 2026934750 of 5459%
Aug 3, 2026305738125 of 53723%
Jul 27, 202620423294 of 56117%
Jul 20, 20263227 of 5621%
Jul 13, 202621322982 of 55915%
Jun 8, 20262529 of 2005%
Jun 1, 202678722 of 18612%
Mar 30, 2026471526 of 19014%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Aug 8, 2026 · first reported · Headline from WMUR

    Senate confirms Blanche as AG, passes bill to avoid shutdown before August recess

Background

Blanche was chosen in April to replace Pam Bondi as acting attorney general,[1] and in early June Trump announced at a White House dinner that he would nominate him for the post.[8] At his confirmation hearing in July, lawmakers pressed him on a range of issues,[9][10] and Cornyn said he remained uncommitted.[11] The Judiciary Committee twice delayed its vote as Cornyn and Tillis demanded assurances about the fund,[12][13] and Trump said he might pull the nomination, accusing Cornyn of objecting only after Trump declined to endorse him in the Texas primary.[14][15]

On August 2 Blanche said he was formally rescinding the fund,[4] and Cornyn and Tillis agreed to support him.[5][16] The committee advanced the nomination on a party-line vote,[17][18] though critics noted that an immunity arrangement Blanche had extended to Trump, his sons and their businesses remained in place.[19] Collins and Murkowski announced their opposition,[6][7] and the Senate narrowly confirmed him before leaving for its August recess.[2][20]

Supporting stories (20)
  1. Todd Blanche: What's next for the acting attorney general
  2. Trump administration profile: Todd Blanche
  3. Blanche's AG nomination on hold over opposition to DOJ's 'anti-weaponization fund'
  4. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche rescinds $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization fund'
  5. Blanche rescinds $1.8B fund
  6. Susan Collins opposes Todd Blanche for attorney general
  7. Murkowski to oppose Todd Blanche nomination, narrowing his path to confirmation
  8. President Trump will nominate Todd Blanche as attorney general
  9. Blanche faces criticism
  10. Takeaways from Blanche and Clayton hearings: Fund for Trump allies and 2020 election at the forefront
  11. Cornyn noncommittal on Blanche attorney general nomination after pressing him in hearing
  12. US Senate Judiciary delays vote on Blanche nomination for AG as Grassley slams Dems
  13. Blanche nomination at risk of delay as senator seeks assurances on Trump settlement
  14. Trump may pull Blanche attorney general nomination for now as key Republicans withhold support
  15. Trump: Cornyn didn't object to 'anti-weaponization' fund before challenger endorsement
  16. Cornyn reaches deal with Justice Department to allow Blanche nomination to advance
  17. Blanche confirmation for Trump attorney general a ‘work in progress’ after defection
  18. Blanche clears key nomination hurdle after deal wins senators' vote
  19. President Trump's tax audit immunity still in place as Blanche's path to confirmation clears
  20. Senate embarks on recess after funding government and confirming Blanche, punting other priorities

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 29 recorded updates

August 2026

  1. Senate embarks on recess after funding government and confirming Blanche, punting other prioritiesHeadline from WFLA · 3 outlets
  2. Anti-Trump Republican senator vows to fight Todd Blanche's confirmation — because of course she willHeadline from Conservative Review · 4 outlets
  3. Trump administration profile: Todd BlancheHeadline from OpenSecrets · 109 outlets
  4. Murkowski to oppose Todd Blanche nomination, narrowing his path to confirmationHeadline from KEYT Santa Barbara · 24 outlets
  5. Blanche clears key nomination hurdle after deal wins senators' voteHeadline from St. Louis Post-Dispatch · 7 outlets
  6. Susan Collins opposes Todd Blanche for attorney generalHeadline from Axios · 14 outlets
  7. President Trump's tax audit immunity still in place as Blanche's path to confirmation clearsHeadline from CBS 19 Tyler · 21 outlets
  8. Blanche asserts ‘anti-weaponization’ fund is dead, wins key GOP support in US SenateHeadline from Idaho Capital Sun · 1 outlet
  9. Blanche confirmation for Trump attorney general a ‘work in progress’ after defectionHeadline from Hawaiitribune Herald · 75 outlets
  10. Cornyn reaches deal with Justice Department to allow Blanche nomination to advanceHeadline from The Hill · 14 outlets

July 2026

  1. Blanche rescinds $1.8B fundHeadline from Bismarck Tribune · 16 outlets
  2. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche rescinds $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization fund'Headline from KIII Corpus Christi · 57 outlets
  3. Cornyn, Tillis become fighting faces of quiet Republican concerns over BlancheHeadline from The Hill · 4 outlets
  4. Trump may pull Blanche attorney general nomination for now as key Republicans withhold supportHeadline from CBS News · 73 outlets
  5. Blanche's AG nomination on hold over opposition to DOJ's 'anti-weaponization fund'Headline from PBS NewsHour · 4 outlets
  6. Trump: Cornyn didn't object to 'anti-weaponization' fund before challenger endorsementHeadline from The Hill · 11 outlets
  7. Blanche nomination at risk of delay as senator seeks assurances on Trump settlementHeadline from Bangor Daily News · 49 outlets
  8. Trump defends DOJ weaponization fund and attacks Cornyn, further imperiling Blanche nominationHeadline from KVIA El Paso · 12 outlets
  9. US Senate Judiciary delays vote on Blanche nomination for AG as Grassley slams DemsHeadline from Oregon Capital Chronicle · 1 outlet
  10. Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to vote on Todd Blanche's nomination for Attorney GeneralHeadline from CBS News · 4 outlets
  11. As AG, Todd Blanche Will Finally Seek Justice for Dems' Dirty LawfareHeadline from PJ Media · 5 outlets
  12. Cornyn noncommittal on Blanche attorney general nomination after pressing him in hearingHeadline from The Hill · 3 outlets
  13. Blanche on 'glide path' for confirmation, insiders sayHeadline from Billings Gazette · 1 outlet
  14. Takeaways from Blanche and Clayton hearings: Fund for Trump allies and 2020 election at the forefrontHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 16 outlets
  15. Blanche faces criticismHeadline from Richmond Times-Dispatch · 77 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →