Todd Blanche's uphill battle to be confirmed as attorney general ended on Saturday with a 50-49 vote in the Senate, after President Donald Trump's former lawyer managed to win key Republican support.

Blanche had been serving as acting attorney general since Pam Bondi was removed from the role in April, which Trump announced after mounting frustration over the way she handled the Jeffrey Epstein files.

But Blanche's confirmation as attorney general remained uncertain for weeks in the lead-up to Saturday's vote, with senators from both parties expressing concerns over his previous work as the president's personal lawyer and his role in a contentious IRS settlement deal.

Blanche's narrow victory came at 4 a.m. on Saturday as a late-night session continued into the early hours. The vote was delivered mostly along party lines, with only two Republican senators joining Democrats to vote against his confirmation.

Which Senators Voted Against Blanche’s Confirmation?

All Democratic and independent senators voted against Blanche's confirmation. These are:

1. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland
2. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin
3. Michael Bennet of Colorado
4. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut
5. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware
6. Cory Booker of New Jersey
7. Maria Cantwell of Washington
8. Chris Coons of Delaware
9. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada
10. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois
11. Dick Durbin of Illinois
12. Ruben Gallego of Arizona
13. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York
14. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire
15. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico
16. John Hickenlooper of Colorado
17. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii
18. Tim Kaine of Virginia
19. Mark Kelly of Arizona
20. Andy Kim of New Jersey
21. Angus King of Maine
22. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
23. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico
24. Ed Markey of Massachusetts
25. Jeff Merkley of Oregon
26. Chris Murphy of Connecticut
27. Patty Murray of Washington
28. Jon Ossoff of Georgia
29. Alex Padilla of California
30. Gary Peters of Michigan
31. Jack Reed of Rhode Island
32. Jacky Rosen of Nevada
33. Bernie Sanders of Vermont
34. Brian Schatz of Hawaii
35. Adam Schiff of California
36. Chuck Schumer of New York
37. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire
38. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan
39. Tina Smith of Minnesota
40. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland
41. Mark Warner of Virginia
42. Raphael Warnock of Georgia
43. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts
44. Peter Welch of Vermont
45. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island
46. Ron Wyden of Oregon

Two Republican moderates joined them to vote against Blanche:

1. Susan Collins of Maine
2. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska

Both have cited concerns over his actions as acting attorney general and his handling of several high-profile controversies as their motivation to vote against his confirmation.

Newsweek contacted Senators Collins' and Murkowski's offices for comment by email on Saturday morning.

Other Republicans who had previously held out against Blanche—Senator Bill Cassidy and Senator Thom Tillis—agreed to back him after being reassured that he would rescind the controversial $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund.

The fund was proposed as part of the now-voided settlement resolving Trump's lawsuit against the IRS over the disclosure of his tax records. It would have provided a mechanism for people who claimed they had been unfairly targeted, investigated, or prosecuted by the federal government to seek compensation—potentially including January 6 rioters.

It was Cassidy’s support that ultimately gave Blanche the edge to win. The senator said that he had talked with former attorney general William Barr and was reassured that Blanche would not just act as a rubber stamp for Trump.

Why Did Collins and Murkowski Not Budge?

Neither Collins nor Murkowski could be swayed to support Blanche, though he needed just one more vote to be confirmed.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Collins described Blanche as a "capable lawyer" but argued that his nomination reflected the increased politicization of the Justice Department.

"While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political," she wrote. "Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation."

She then listed four specific objections to Blanche's confirmation, including:

• His approval of protections shielding Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization from IRS audits;
• His role in approving the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund;
• His reported promise to an anti-abortion group that he would seek to prohibit the mailing of abortion medication nationwide;
• The Justice Department's attempt to indict Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin over what she described as constitutionally protected videos encouraging resistance to unlawful orders.

Announcing her opposition, Murkowski said on Friday that Blanche was "decent and capable," attributing him responsibility for taking "several noteworthy decisions" as acting attorney general that benefited Alaska and the nation. But she added that she was troubled by what she described as the increasing politicization, and even "weaponization," of the Justice Department.

She pointed to the Justice Department's handling of the release of the Epstein files; immunity protections granted to Trump, his family and their businesses as part of the IRS settlement; as well as Blanche's reported comments to anti-abortion groups.

She also cast doubt on whether the Trump administration had completely abandoned its plan for the anti-weaponization fund, which could technically be revived through a legal loophole.

"The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration," the Alaska senator said. "I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case."

On Saturday, Trump shared a post on his social media profile on Truth Social which called Murkowski "a traitor" for voting against Blanche.

What Is Blanche Saying?

Following the Senate vote, Blanche wrote on X that he was "deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me to lead the Department of Justice as our great nation’s 88th Attorney General."

He added that he was "grateful to the Senate for staying late to complete this process."

Newsweek contacted the White House and the Attorney General's office for comment by email on Saturday morning.