Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced she will vote against confirming Todd Blanche as Attorney General, putting the nomination in more precarious territory just as Republican leaders move toward a full Senate floor vote.
Blanche survived a Senate Judiciary Committee vote Tuesday, but Collins, a Republican, said his record at the Justice Department disqualified him. "While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has become increasingly political," she said in a statement. "Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department's independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation."
Collins listed several specific objections. She pointed to Blanche's approval of a shield from IRS audits for President Trump, his sons, and his family, as well as the creation of a nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund. She also cited his promises to anti-abortion organizations that he would attempt to halt mailed abortion medication, and his attempted indictments of Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan for what Collins described as their "ill-advised, but constitutionally protected, videos encouraging resistance to unlawful orders." She also referenced pushback from more than 1,200 Justice Department employees. "For these reasons, I will vote against this nomination," Collins said.
According to Fox News, Republicans can afford to lose only one more vote before the confirmation fails entirely. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky remains absent from the Senate with no clear timeline for his return, and several other Republicans have not committed to supporting Blanche. Those include Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, John Curtis of Utah, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
Blanche and the Justice Department had previously reached a deal with Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas to secure their support in committee. That agreement included explicit direction that the anti-weaponization fund would be ended and a narrowed scope for the audit immunity covering Trump and his family. Critics in the Senate have argued the deal has no binding mechanism to prevent Blanche or Trump from abandoning it after confirmation.
Collins made her decision after reviewing Blanche's qualifications, records, and his responses before the Senate Appropriations Committee, which she chairs, as well as his confirmation hearing. Blanche is serving as acting Attorney General and was nominated as a replacement for former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota and Republican leadership were working toward a floor vote, but Collins' announcement complicates that timeline. With McConnell absent and several members still uncommitted, Republican leaders have limited room for further defections.
