Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General.

Sen. Bill Cassidy plans to announce live on the Senate floor Friday whether he will vote against Todd Blanche's attorney general nomination. Two Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski — have already said they oppose Blanche.

• Blanche's confirmation fails 49-50 if Cassidy votes no and McConnell stays absent.
• Blanche served as Trump's defense attorney in his New York criminal trial.
• Collins and Murkowski cited what they describe as politicization of the Justice Department.
• Cassidy was one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump in 2021.

Why it matters: A failed vote would be historically significant. No Cabinet nominee has been rejected by the Senate since John Tower's 1989 Pentagon bid.

• Cassidy says he must be convinced Blanche will act as the nation's top law enforcement officer, not as Trump's personal attorney.

How 77 sources split on this story

What’s next: Cassidy is set to speak on the Senate floor at 10:40 a.m. ET Friday.

• McConnell has not voted since his June hospitalization; his absence thins the GOP's margin.
• Will McConnell return to vote before the confirmation tally is called?
• If Blanche fails, who would Trump nominate as a replacement attorney general?