Day 10 · Blanche DOJ Fight

Cassidy Clinches Blanche Confirmation

Bill Cassidy became the 50th vote for Todd Blanche, clearing his path to attorney general.

Balanced from 37 sources

24 left11 center18 right

Updated Aug 7, 9:06pm ET

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Sen. Bill Cassidy said Friday he will vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, giving President Donald Trump’s nominee the 50th Republican vote he needs, assuming no further defections. Cassidy was the last GOP holdout after Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski said they would oppose Blanche, while Sen. Mitch McConnell remained absent after hospitalization. Blanche is Trump’s former personal lawyer and currently acting attorney general. Cassidy said Blanche was “not perfect” but argued another acting attorney general might run the Justice Department worse.

Analysis & opinion

The arguments that emerged from this coverage — built only from the analysis and opinion pieces, never from straight reporting. Each dot is one article, placed by its outlet's bias — left to right. How we label coverage →
angles sorted left-argued → right-argued
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Cassidy capitulationMostly Left

Bill Cassidy and other Senate Republicans caved to Donald Trump by backing Todd Blanche despite serious concerns. Their support was a cowardly capitulation that helped legitimize a dangerous nominee rather than standing up to Trump.

Daily Beast
Slate
New York Magazine
Raw Story
New Republic

Baseless Cassidy rationaleMostly Left

Cassidy’s stated reasons for supporting Blanche do not hold up. His justification was baffling, indefensible, and appears to have been invented to excuse a bad vote.

AlterNet
MEDIAite
Raw Story

Weaponized JusticeMostly Left

Confirming Blanche would enable Trump to politicize the Justice Department against his enemies. Supporting him is alarming because it normalizes turning federal law enforcement into a partisan weapon.

Los Angeles Times
Daily Beast
AlterNet
Raw Story
The New Yorker

Anti-Murkowski attackMostly Right

Lisa Murkowski’s opposition to Blanche was an unprincipled attack on Trump’s nominee. She acted like a nominal Republican betraying her party rather than making a principled stand.

MEDIAite
The Federalist
Townhall

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