{"id":31327,"date":"2026-08-07T17:48:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T12:48:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=31327"},"modified":"2026-08-07T17:48:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T12:48:17","slug":"murkowski-says-she-will-oppose-blanche-nomination-putting-attorney-generals-bid-in-further-jeopardy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=31327","title":{"rendered":"Murkowski says she will &#8216;oppose&#8217; Blanche nomination, putting attorney general&#8217;s bid in further jeopardy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \">Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in a statement Thursday that she will \u201coppose\u201d President Donald Trump&#8217;s nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general, becoming the second Republican senator to announce opposition and further narrowing Blanche&#8217;s path to confirmation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Murkowski said she had &#8220;numerous constructive meetings&#8221; with Blanche and described him as &#8220;decent and capable.&#8221; She also praised his efforts to learn about Alaska and said that, as acting attorney general, he had made &#8220;several noteworthy decisions&#8221; that would benefit the state and the nation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Ultimately, however, I will oppose his nomination,&#8221; Murkowski said in a statement, citing concerns about what she described as the politicization and &#8220;weaponization&#8221; of the Justice Department.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;The politicization &#8212; even weaponization &#8212; of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it,&#8221; Murkowski said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Among the issues she cited were the handling of the release of the Epstein files, what she called &#8220;sweeping immunity protections&#8221; granted to the president, his family and their businesses, statements made to anti-abortion groups, and what she described as the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. senators.<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur gIjeL \" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/3d552c2a-b807-4239-8ca9-a59c691138c2\/murkowski-blanche-opposition_1786100596494_hpMain.jpg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/3d552c2a-b807-4239-8ca9-a59c691138c2\/murkowski-blanche-opposition_1786100596494_hpMain.jpg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/3d552c2a-b807-4239-8ca9-a59c691138c2\/murkowski-blanche-opposition_1786100596494_hpMain.jpg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/3d552c2a-b807-4239-8ca9-a59c691138c2\/murkowski-blanche-opposition_1786100596494_hpMain.jpg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"PHOTO: Vice President JD Vance Attends Senate Republican Luncheon On Capitol Hill\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/3d552c2a-b807-4239-8ca9-a59c691138c2\/murkowski-blanche-opposition_1786100596494_hpMain.jpg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; AUGUST 06: U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) departs from a lunch with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol Building on August 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. The U.S. Senate continues to negotiate a path towards voting on legislation before starting their August recess.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,&#8221; Murkowski added. &#8220;I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Murkowski&#8217;s announcement follows opposition from Maine Sen. Susan Collins. If both senators ultimately vote against Blanche, Republicans could likely afford only one more defection, potentially making Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy&#8217;s vote decisive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Cassidy has also expressed reservations about the nomination but has not yet confirmed how he will vote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">While Murkowski said she would &#8220;oppose&#8221; Blanche&#8217;s nomination, it remains unclear whether she will cast a &#8220;no&#8221; vote or use a procedural pairing arrangement with absent Sen. Mitch McConnell that would allow her not to vote while maintaining the balance of the Senate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in a statement Thursday that she will \u201coppose\u201d President Donald Trump&#8217;s nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general, becoming the second Republican senator to announce opposition and further narrowing Blanche&#8217;s path to confirmation. Murkowski said she had &#8220;numerous constructive meetings&#8221; with Blanche and described him as &#8220;decent and capable.&#8221; She&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/3d552c2a-b807-4239-8ca9-a59c691138c2\/murkowski-blanche-opposition_1786100596494_hpMain_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abc-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31327"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31327\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}