GOP Senators Murkowski, Collins Break Ranks to Oppose Trump's AG Pick
Intra-Party Split Detected
Republican Senators Murkowski and Collins broke with the majority of their party and the Trump administration to oppose Todd Blanche's confirmation as attorney general, citing DOJ politicization concerns, while most GOP senators and conservative commentators back the nomination and criticize the two as disloyal 'RINOs.'
Left says
- •Blanche's handling of the Epstein files, the sweeping tax and legal immunity granted to Trump and his family, and the proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate Trump allies reflect a Justice Department that has abandoned independence in favor of loyalty to the president.
- •The Justice Department's targeting of former officials and even sitting senators signals a dangerous willingness to use federal law enforcement as a political weapon against perceived enemies.
- •Rescinding the anti-weaponization fund only while confirmation is pending, with no guarantee it stays gone once Blanche is confirmed, shows the move was a tactical concession rather than a genuine policy reversal.
- •A handful of Republican senators willing to break with their party on nominations serves as an important check when one party controls the confirmation process.
Right says
- •Blanche is a qualified, capable nominee who has already made decisions benefiting the country, and Murkowski herself concedes he is 'decent and capable,' undercutting the substance of her opposition.
- •Murkowski's record of repeated votes against the administration's agenda — on ICE and CBP funding, tariffs, war powers, and other nominees — suggests her opposition stems from ongoing hostility toward Trump rather than genuine concerns about Blanche.
- •Claims that Justice Department weaponization 'accelerated' under this administration ignore the prior administration's use of the DOJ against Trump, 2020 protesters, pro-life advocates, and religious conservatives.
- •With McConnell absent and the confirmation on a knife's edge, a small number of dissenting Republicans risk handing Democrats an outsized ability to block a qualified nominee the administration needs to run the department.
Common Take
High Consensus- Todd Blanche is broadly acknowledged as a capable, competent lawyer, even by senators opposing his confirmation.
- The $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund was rescinded by Blanche, but its permanence remains disputed and uncertain.
- Mitch McConnell's continued absence from the Senate has left Republicans with an especially narrow margin, making every vote consequential.
- Bill Cassidy's position was seen as pivotal to whether Blanche's nomination would succeed or stall.
The Arguments
Left argues
The DOJ's handling of the Epstein files, the tax immunity deal for Trump and his family, and the proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate Trump allies collectively suggest an agency being reshaped to serve the president's personal and political interests rather than operate independently.
Right counters
Blanche formally rescinded the anti-weaponization fund and secured the votes of Judiciary Committee Republicans like Cornyn and Tillis by doing so, showing he is responsive to legitimate concerns rather than simply an instrument of the president's will.
Right argues
Murkowski's own concession that Blanche is 'decent and capable' who has made decisions 'that will benefit our state and the nation' undercuts her stated rationale for opposing him, especially set against her long pattern of votes against the administration's agenda.
Left counters
A nominee can be personally capable while still being unwilling or unable to check an administration's abuses; competence and independence are separate questions, and Murkowski's vote reflects doubt about the latter, not the former.
Left argues
The fact that the $1.8 billion fund was rescinded only while confirmation was pending, with Murkowski noting 'there is no telling what the future holds' once the vote occurs, reveals the retraction as leverage-driven rather than a genuine commitment to ending weaponization.
Right counters
Blanche's written order stated 'beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund,' a formal, on-the-record rescission that satisfied other skeptical Republicans like Cornyn and Tillis and gives the Senate a paper trail to hold him to if he reverses course.
Right argues
Claims that DOJ weaponization has 'accelerated' under this administration ignore that the prior administration used federal law enforcement against Trump himself, 2020 protesters, pro-life advocates, and religious conservatives, making the current DOJ's actions look more like accountability than novel abuse.
Left counters
Pointing to past abuses by a different administration doesn't justify new ones; targeting former officials, sitting senators, and building a compensation fund for allies are independently troubling actions regardless of what came before.
Right argues
With McConnell absent and the vote on a knife's edge, a couple of Republican defections can hand Democrats effective veto power over a qualified nominee the administration needs to run the department, undermining the will of the party that won the confirmation power.
Left counters
Divided government and slim majorities are supposed to create exactly this kind of check — a handful of senators willing to withhold votes is a feature of the confirmation process, not an illegitimate obstruction of it.
Challenge Questions
These questions target genuine internal contradictions — meant to provoke honest reflection.
Right asks Left
“If Murkowski and Collins both acknowledge Blanche is personally capable and that he formally rescinded the compensation fund, what specific evidence — beyond speculation about what 'the future holds' — supports treating his written rescission as insincere rather than accepting it at face value?”
Left asks Right
“If a nominee's personal decency and competence are considered dispositive reasons to support confirmation, how should senators evaluate a nominee's independence from a president who has explicitly pressured DOJ officials and criticized senators who don't vote his way?”
Outlier Report
Left Fringe
Figures like Rep. Jamie Raskin and progressive commentators (e.g., MSNBC's Chris Hayes) who frame this as proof of full-scale authoritarian capture of DOJ represent a more intense minority, maybe 20-25% of the left, versus the broader Democratic base that view is skeptical but not framing it in existential terms.
Right Fringe
Commentators at The Federalist and Blaze Media who dismiss Murkowski and Collins as 'RINOs' driven purely by personal animus, and figures like Trump himself who publicly disparage Murkowski, represent maybe 30-35% of the right's most vocal base; more institutional Republicans and moderates are less scathing.
Noise Assessment
High noise ratio: much of the coverage amplifies inside-Senate political drama and personal feuds (Murkowski vs. Trump) rather than reflecting broad public engagement, as most Americans are not closely tracking AG confirmation mechanics.
Sources (6)
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/anti-trump-republican-senator-vows-to-fight-todd-blanche-s-confirmation-because-of-course-she-will.jpg?id=67587485&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C16%2C0%2C91" /><br /><br /><p>U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — a nominal Republican up for re-election in 2028 — appears desperate to undermine the MAGA agenda and prevent President Donald Trump from getting his ducks in a row. </p><p>Murkowski — who in recent months <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/senate-pass-ice-funding-dems" target="_blank">repeatedly</a> <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/2-gop-senators-side-with-democrats-to-block-ice-cbp-funding" target="_blank">voted</a> against funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection; <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/vance-casts-tiebreaking-war-powers-vote-after-republicans-betray-trump" target="_blank">voted</a> to reign in Trump's war powers; <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/here-are-the-four-republicans-who-betrayed-trump-again-joining-dems-to-undermine-the-maga-agenda" target="_blank">voted</a> to block Trump's tariffs; <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-moves-to-claw-back-billions-more-from-usaid-foreign-aid" target="_blank">voted</a> unsuccessfully to keep taxpayers on the hook for USAID and other foreign funding; <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/senate-narrowly-confirms-trump-lawyer-despite-republican-defectors" target="_blank">voted</a> against multiple Trump nominees, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao; <a href="https://electionlawblog.org/2026/senator-murkowski-in-the-wsj-why-im-voting-against-the-save-america-act/" target="_blank">campaigned</a> against the SAVE America Act; and <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/murkowski-joins-dems-in-whining-about-comey-indictment-she-sang-a-different-tune-when-they-went-after-trump" target="_self">complained</a> with Democrats about ex-FBI Director James Comey's indictment — revealed Friday she will vote <em>against</em> Todd Blanche's confirmation for attorney general.</p><p class="pull-quote">'She’s not good.'</p><p>With the continued absence of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), this effectively means that the fate of Blanche's confirmation could be decided by Bill Cassidy — a U.S. senator whose hopes of a third term Trump <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/anti-trump-republican-senator-humiliated-in-primary" target="_blank">helped dash</a> in Louisiana's May Republican primary.</p><p>Murkowski, who <a href="https://www.nj.com/politics/2026/01/the-most-beloved-and-most-hated-senators-in-america-have-just-been-revealed-in-a-massive-new-poll.html" target="_blank">started</a> the year with an approval rating of 37%, <a href="https://x.com/lisamurkowski/status/2085667540265504961" target="_blank">noted</a> in a lengthy X post that she has had numerous "constructive meetings" with Blanche and credited him not only as being "decent and capable" but also as having "made several noteworthy decisions that will benefit our state and the nation."</p><p>The 69-year-old senator nevertheless vowed to "oppose his nomination."</p><p>It appears Murkowski is less opposed to the man and more opposed to the administration. After all, some of her complaints have to do with actions taken at the Justice Department prior to Blanche's April promotion to acting attorney general.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/mitch-mcconnell-releases-new-statement-about-his-health-status-but-hes-not-yet-returning-to-the-senate" target="_blank">Mitch McConnell releases new statement about his health status — but he's not yet returning to the Senate</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="87e04" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=67588670&width=980" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images</small></p><p>"The politicization — even weaponization — of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it," wrote Murkowski. "I take issue with the handling of the release of the Epstein files; the sweeping immunity protections granted to the president, his family, and their businesses; the statements that have been made to anti-abortion groups; and the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. senators."</p><p>Murkowski also expressed skepticism about the scrapping of the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund that would have compensated MAGA victims of Democratic lawfare, noting that while it was taken off the table "because this nomination is pending and the Senate has leverage," there "is no telling what the future holds."</p><p>The senator <a href="https://x.com/lisamurkowski/status/2085667540265504961?s=20" target="_blank">said</a> in conclusion that she does not have confidence that Blanche can "check the worst impulses of this administration."</p><p>There is no love lost between Trump and Murkowski. </p><p>"I'm against Murkowski," the president recently <a href="https://punchbowl.news/archive/8726-am/" target="_blank">told</a> Punchbowl News. "I do more for Alaska than any president in history. No president’s done for Alaska what I’ve done. She’s not good."</p><p>In June, Trump <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-diagnoses-republican-senator-with-trump-derangement-syndrome/" target="_blank">called</a> the Alaskan U.S. senator "Trump deranged."</p><p>Murkowski is not, however, the only Republican lawmaker keen to torpedo Blanche's confirmation.</p><p>U.S. Sen. Susan Collins — the Maine Republican whose challenger in the midterms is a leftist <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/platners-replacement-in-maine-is-a-family-man-just-not-in-the-way-voters-might-expect" target="_blank">reportedly married</a> to his second cousin — <a href="https://x.com/SenatorCollins/status/2084757125746594298?s=20" target="_blank">complained</a> that while Blanche is a "capable lawyer," he "has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department's independence."</p><p>Cassidy, a vociferous Trump critic and the remaining undecided Republican, has declined to indicate whether he'll support Blanche, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/6015924-lisa-murkowski-todd-blanche-attorney-general-nomination-block/" target="_blank">reported</a> The Hill. </p><p>The Senate is expected to vote Friday or sometime over the weekend to get the ball rolling on a final confirmation vote.</p><p>White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/07/politics/murkowski-blanche-nomination-vote-against" target="_blank">told</a> CNN in a statement, "Todd Blanche is exceptionally qualified and should be confirmed as the next attorney general of the United States so the administration can continue to keep America safe."</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em></p>
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s path to becoming permanent head of the Justice Department became more difficult on Friday after Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said she would not vote to confirm him. Murkowski joins Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in her opposition to Blanche, claiming he would further the politicization of the Justice Department. The Alaska ...
Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said early Friday she would oppose Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general, a decision that jeopardizes President Donald Trump's effort to install his pick to lead the Justice Department.
<img alt="Murkowski at an event." class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" src="https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Lisa-Murkowski-1200x675.jpg" style="display: block; margin: auto; margin-bottom: 5px;" />The competition to see who the most shallow, feckless Republican in the U.S. Senate can be tight. But somehow, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski always finds a way to come out on top. The Last Frontier State’s senior senator announced on Friday that she will be joining her pal Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in opposing Todd Blanche’s […]
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) on Friday became the second Republican senator to announce she will vote against acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve in the role full time, putting his confirmation on a knife’s edge as one more “no” vote could sink or delay it. Murkowski said she had “numerous constructive meetings with…
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she will oppose Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general, narrowing the confirmation path for President Trump's pick to lead the Justice Department.