{"id":2640558,"date":"2026-08-04T19:23:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T23:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/susan-collins-to-oppose-todd-blanche-nomination-for-attorney-general\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T19:23:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T23:23:46","slug":"susan-collins-to-oppose-todd-blanche-nomination-for-attorney-general","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/susan-collins-to-oppose-todd-blanche-nomination-for-attorney-general\/","title":{"rendered":"Susan Collins to oppose Todd Blanche nomination for attorney general"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsusan-collins-to-oppose-todd-blanche-nomination-for-attorney-general%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2640558&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Susan collins (R-ME) has decided to oppose Todd Blanche\u2019s nomination for attorney general, potentially affecting his confirmation vote in teh Senate, where Republicans can only afford to lose two votes. collins cited concerns over the politicization of the Department of Justice, pointing to actions such as the creation of a now-defunct &#8220;anti-weaponization&#8221; fund and a settlement protecting Donald Trump from IRS audits. Her opposition also references Blanche&#8217;s past actions and potential policies, including cracking down on mailing abortion pills and the DOJ&#8217;s recent prosecutions of certain senators.Collins&#8217;s vote is notable as she seeks re-election in a competitive race and is known as a swing vote on controversial nominations. Her decision followed extensive discussions with other senators and highlights ongoing debates over the department\u2019s independence and the nominee&#8217;s loyalty to Trump.All Democrats are expected to oppose Blanche, with some Republican colleagues undecided or publicly noncommittal.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/susan-collins\/\">Susan Collins<\/a> (R-ME) will vote \u201cno\u201d on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/todd-blanche\/\">Todd Blanche<\/a>\u2018s nomination for attorney general, narrowing his path to confirmation in a chamber where Republicans can only afford to lose two GOP votes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collins announced her decision the same day Blanche <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4673560\/trump-attorney-general-pick-todd-blanche-faces-final-hurdle-before-confirmation-vote\/\">narrowly advanced<\/a> out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. She is running for reelection in a highly competitive Senate race and has long been a swing vote on controversial nominations.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4675099\/susan-collins-oppose-todd-blanche-nomination-attorney-general\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Susan Collins to oppose Todd Blanche nomination for attorney general<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4675007\/senate-gop-agenda-budget-save-america-act-threatened\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Senate GOP agenda on budget bill and SAVE America Act threatened by uncertainty<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4674415\/gop-senators-call-max-miller-resignation-abuse-allegations\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Senators call for Max Miller\u2019s resignation after Bernie Moreno details abusive behavior<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political,\u201d Collins said in a statement. \u201cMr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department\u2019s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She cited the Justice Department\u2019s creation of a since-scrapped \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund and the May settlement that protected President Donald Trump and his family from IRS tax audits. Her announcement means only one other Republican can oppose Blanche\u2019s nomination on the Senate floor due to Sen. Mitch McConnell\u2019s (R-KY) absence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One undecided senator, John Curtis (R-UT), announced he\u2019d vote \u201cyes\u201d on Tuesday, but Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) are publicly noncommittal. All Democrats are expected to oppose Blanche, accusing him of being blindingly loyal to the president.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Blanche is Trump\u2019s ex-personal attorney and was previously confirmed to the role of deputy attorney general. He became acting attorney general after Pam Bondi stepped down in April.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collins\u2019s announcement comes after she spoke \u201cat length\u201d with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn her typical due diligence, she asked me a lot of questions,\u201d said Cornyn, who held up Blanche\u2019s nomination in the Judiciary Committee until he got the DOJ to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4670112\/cornyn-reaches-deal-doj-todd-blanche-nomination-vote\/\">submit in writing<\/a> that the anti-weaponization fund was dead and that there were limits to the tax immunity deal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4673972\/durbin-accuses-todd-blanche-lying-under-oath-trump\/\"><strong>DURBIN ACCUSES TODD BLANCHE OF LYING UNDER OATH TO AVOID \u2018OFFENDING\u2019 TRUMP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In her statement, Collins also based her vote on the DOJ\u2019s attempted prosecution of Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) over their video encouraging service members to disobey unlawful orders. She also referenced <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/08\/03\/blanche-pledged-abortion-pill-crackdown-private-call-01023304\">reporting<\/a> that Blanche would be cracking down on the mailing of abortion pills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collins, who is running for a sixth term in November, is the rare Republican to support women\u2019s access to abortion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Collins to oppose Blanche for attorney general, risking confirmation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2640559,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26197603828736-e1785881895756.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[32116,9134,5894,34870,51594],"class_list":["post-2640558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-attorney-general","tag-nomination","tag-politics","tag-susan-collins","tag-todd-blanche"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26197603828736-e1785881895756.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2640558"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640558\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2640562,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640558\/revisions\/2640562"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2640559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2640558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2640558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2640558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}