{"id":31799,"date":"2026-08-08T02:47:37","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=31799"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:47:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:47:37","slug":"critics-absolutely-demolish-bill-cassidys-ridiculous-argument-for-voting-for-todd-blanche","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=31799","title":{"rendered":"Critics Absolutely Demolish Bill Cassidy\u2019s \u2018Ridiculous\u2019 Argument For Voting For Todd Blanche"},"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 id=\"attachment_5661220\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5661220\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5661220\" src=\"https:\/\/am12.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP25247660100761.jpg\" alt=\"U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA)\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5661220\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aaron Schwartz\/Sipa USA via AP Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sen. <strong>Bill Cassidy<\/strong> (R-LA) raised eyebrows on Friday with his argument for why he was willing to vote to confirm <strong>Todd Blanche<\/strong> as attorney general.<\/p>\n<p>CNN\u2019s <strong>Aaron Blake<\/strong> summed up part of Cassidy\u2019s 6-minute floor speech and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AaronBlake\/status\/2085740133391675508\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">noted<\/a>, \u201cCassidy suggests Blanche would be better able to push back on Trump if he&#8217;s a Senate-confirmed, full AG.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCassidy also suggests an alternative wouldn&#8217;t be as capable,\u201d Blake later added.<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"a17312104d1b99ac32d90bc4fc0f820e\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is quite something<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is arguing that Todd Blanche will have more leverage against Trump after he&#039;s Senate confirmed<\/p>\n<p>That&#039;s Cassidy&#039;s thesis<\/p>\n<p>Make of it what you want<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MacFarlaneNews\/status\/2085740633243717951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>Former CBS News correspondent<strong> Scott MacFarlane<\/strong> offered a similar observation, writing on X, \u201cThis is quite something Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is arguing that Todd Blanche will have more leverage against Trump after he&#8217;s Senate confirmed. That&#8217;s Cassidy&#8217;s thesis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMake of it what you want,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n<p>Well, many of Cassidy\u2019s critics did just that and torched the outgoing Republican senator who earlier in the week said he was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/politics\/gop-senator-says-hes-worried-about-lawfare-under-todd-blanche-who-can-only-afford-to-lose-one-more-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concerned<\/a> about \u201clawfare\u201d under Todd Blanche\u2019s DOJ, where he is currently the acting attorney general. Cassidy concluded his remarks in support of Blanche, noting, &#8220;I&#8217;ll be criticized for this vote &#8211; what&#8217;s new?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Politico legal affairs reporter<strong> Josh Gerstein<\/strong> shared Blake\u2019s comment and noted a hole in Cassidy\u2019s argument: \u201cTrump can fire the AG just like he can fire the acting AG. One of those things he&#8217;s already done twice.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"f5cbe6ca102a07eeaed1eb0a11dcf8a1\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Trump can fire the AG just like he can fire the acting AG. One of those things he&#039;s already done twice. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KcoPjjOWWw\">https:\/\/t.co\/KcoPjjOWWw<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/joshgerstein\/status\/2085758604892590585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>Veteran conservative lawyer<strong> Gregg Nunziata<\/strong> replied, \u201cI find this argument ridiculous. To confirm Blanche is not to better push back on Trump. To confirm Blanche is to legitimize the corrupt abuse of prosecutorial power and further sideline the Senate. It&#8217;s a failure of checks &amp; balances, an abdication.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"8f5c336f4d4e7a92badcc0f8f853f58e\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I find this argument ridiculous.<br \/>To confirm Blanche is not to better push back on Trump. <br \/>To confirm Blanche is to legitimize the corrupt abuse of prosecutorial power and further sideline the Senate. <br \/>It&#039;s a failure of checks &amp; balances, an abdication. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xNg0tSuLuX\">https:\/\/t.co\/xNg0tSuLuX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Gregg Nunziata (@greggnunziata) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/greggnunziata\/status\/2085743480010096939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>Below are some additional reactions:<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"601117f934bb6c08e1b3f94971a19919\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">What a stupid argument. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3zbXlLYZPB\">https:\/\/t.co\/3zbXlLYZPB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; George Conway <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/72x72\/2696.png\" alt=\"\u2696\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/72x72\/1f1fa-1f1f8.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/> (@gtconway3d) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/gtconway3d\/status\/2085776533717667891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"17854564349fb3cd756cc0c94421c55e\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">No, the choice is between always giving Trump what he wants and showing him that there are lines he cannot cross.<\/p>\n<p>It&#039;s not really about Blanche; its about whether the Senate still exists as a check on the president. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GnvS7fDc7K\">https:\/\/t.co\/GnvS7fDc7K<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Tom Malinowski (@Malinowski) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Malinowski\/status\/2085747212546376107?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"8ee622fab5270de663b36de02b10b603\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Car thief won\u2019t break my car window if I give them my keys, in fact they\u2019ll take better care of my car that way too! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TMmR1taaG0\">https:\/\/t.co\/TMmR1taaG0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Timothy Bellman (@Timothy_Bellman) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Timothy_Bellman\/status\/2085835340502184404?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"ced24794631183c29833c625dae17790\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Someone got word to Cassidy that Trump would name Ed Martin acting AG if Blanche went down. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jDJ8IBGFDm\">https:\/\/t.co\/jDJ8IBGFDm<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/varadmehta\/status\/2085751348297937227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"4ada66f14a52d363fcbbe31302a76755\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Won\u2019t shock you, but Cassidy makes a strong case against confirming Blanche but decided to confirm him anyway. I know the threats to family that come with standing up to Trump so perhaps this was simply a vote to make his own post senate life easier for him and his family but the\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ihzpizPnLq\">https:\/\/t.co\/ihzpizPnLq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/chucktodd\/status\/2085753954357379089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"695d9ef36d106f33d1f3af17f0dd62e8\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Blanche auditioned for this job by showing he would be more corrupt and pursue more blatantly political prosecutions than even Bondi, and by just giving Trump a $2 billion slush fund along with unprecedented IRS immunity.<\/p>\n<p>Rewarding Blanche with confirmation only says \u201cdo more!\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/mG2LypFs8M\">https:\/\/t.co\/mG2LypFs8M<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jesse Lee (@JesseCharlesLee) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JesseCharlesLee\/status\/2085751664263270831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"78cf339be5b528f018b946992e6aff7f\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Cassidy is arguing that if not Blanche, Trump\u2019s next pick (the acting) will be worse. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5I8kh0TcyT\">https:\/\/t.co\/5I8kh0TcyT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LisaDNews\/status\/2085743256495661554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>__<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/politics\/critics-absolutely-demolish-bill-cassidys-ridiculous-argument-for-voting-for-todd-blanche\/\">Critics Absolutely Demolish Bill Cassidy\u2019s \u2018Ridiculous\u2019 Argument For Voting For Todd Blanche<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\">Mediaite<\/a>.<\/p>\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>Aaron Schwartz\/Sipa USA via AP Images Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) raised eyebrows on Friday with his argument for why he was willing to vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general. CNN\u2019s Aaron Blake summed up part of Cassidy\u2019s 6-minute floor speech and noted, \u201cCassidy suggests Blanche would be better able to push back on&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31800,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/am12.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP25247660100761.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31799","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=31799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31799\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}