Trump Ally Backs Out Last Minute

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Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said he will oppose acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination to permanently lead the Justice Department, adding another obstacle as Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) works to secure enough Republican votes for confirmation.

“If you’re going to bring up Blanche, I’m not going to vote for him,” Fetterman said during an appearance on The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart podcast.

Fetterman noted that he has backed some of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees, pointing to his support for Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to serve as Homeland Security secretary.

Because Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voted against Mullin, Fetterman’s support was crucial in allowing the nomination to move forward.

“There’s some I would vote for,” Fetterman said of Trump’s nominees. “And there’s many that I haven’t because I don’t believe that’s the right person for the job.”

He added that he tries to evaluate nominees individually, saying he believes former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas “did a terrible job” during the Biden administration.

Fetterman’s decision to oppose Blanche gives Thune even less room for error as he pushes to confirm the nominee before senators leave Washington for the five-week August recess.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has already announced she will vote against Blanche, while Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) have not yet said how they will vote.

With Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) expected to remain absent because of health issues, Republicans effectively hold 52 votes, meaning Thune can afford to lose no more than two GOP senators if every Democrat votes against the nomination.

Despite the uncertainty, Thune said Wednesday he remains optimistic Blanche will ultimately be confirmed.

“I’m confident,” Thune told reporters. “We’re having conversations with the small number of people who are undecided, and I’m hopeful we’ll get there. But it’s still a work in progress.”

Thune also said his goal remains to hold a final confirmation vote on Blanche before the Senate begins its August recess.