The Senate confirmed President Trump’s former personal lawyer in an overnight vote. Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined Democrats in opposition; Bill Cassidy supplied the decisive support after saying Blanche was better positioned than another nominee to push back on Trump when necessary.
Blanche had already run the Justice Department in an acting capacity since Pam Bondi’s April departure. His nomination nearly failed over a proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund for Trump allies and a settlement provision shielding Trump and his family from IRS audits. Blanche promised in writing to abandon the fund and narrow the tax protection, unlocking support from Republican holdouts.
Kalshi carried a confirmation market while the vote was unresolved, but the 50–49 result now outranks—and settles—the forecast. The first concrete test is whether Blanche keeps the two written commitments that secured confirmation: abandoning the compensation fund and narrowing the tax protection. The vote did not resolve how he will handle investigations involving Trump’s opponents.