The Naivety of the Non-MAGA Republican Senators
Republican Senators Thom Tillis, John Cornyn, and Bill Cassidy provided the deciding votes to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, following written assurances that a $1.8 billion fund for payouts to Trump allies would not proceed.
The Mechanics of a Compromised Confirmation
The confirmation process for Todd Blanche concluded only after GOP Senators Tillis and Cornyn extracted specific concessions. Senators Tillis and Cornyn, both of whom are departing the Senate at the end of their current terms, sought a written assurance that a $1.8 billion fund for payouts to Trump allies would not proceed. Senator Bill Cassidy, who also voted to confirm, indicated he was persuaded by the vow.
In a recent appearance on Meet the Press, Blanche declined to pledge that the Justice Department will always act independently of the White House. Instead, he maintained that President Trump “will never ask me to do something unethical or illegal. He never has. He never will.” Federal Judge Kathleen Williams previously detailed Blanche’s starring role in negotiating the slush fund that senators sought to block, confirming that Trump had asked Blanche to do something unethical and that Blanche complied.
A Pattern of Legislative Credulity
Despite voting to convict Donald Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial, Cassidy has repeatedly supported administration appointees after securing promises, only to see those pledges discarded. Most notably, Cassidy cast a deciding vote to confirm Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following promises about preserving the existing vaccination regime—a pledge Kennedy promptly broke.
Following the administration’s attempt to unbundle the measles, mumps, and rubella injection, Cassidy publicly labeled the move a “crazy, stupid thing.” Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, another doctor who supported Kennedy’s confirmation, has similarly expressed frustration with the administration’s subsequent anti-vaccine steps.
The Limits of Symbolic Opposition
Not all moderate Republicans have adopted this approach. Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted against the Blanche confirmation, citing the politicization of the Justice Department under his watch as acting attorney general. Senator Murkowski, for instance, voted to pass the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” while simultaneously expressing a “sincere hope” that the legislation would not be the final product—an outcome that failed to materialize.
Senator Susan Collins, often viewed as the dean of the credulous caucus, has faced similar challenges. Her support for controversial judicial nominees, such as Brett Kavanaugh, has led to significant political friction, particularly following the 2022 Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. While Collins expressed dismay at the ruling, she maintained that she did not regret her vote. Her recent support for a huge appropriation for ICE, followed by public criticism regarding the use of those funds for “shock gloves,” underscores a recurring theme: concern without the application of binding legislative power.
As Cornyn and Cassidy exit the Senate, their reliance on the word of an administration that has repeatedly demonstrated its disregard for traditional norms serves as a warning.