Senate confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General after Cassidy’s deciding vote
Louisiana senator says he does not fully trust Blanche but voted to confirm him anyway
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Photograph: Ryan M. Biller, U.S. Department of Justice via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
What this story says
- The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General by a 50-49 vote on 9 August 2026, with Senator Bill Cassidy providing the deciding vote.
- Cassidy said his decision was not a clear-cut choice and that he does not fully trust Blanche to uphold the Constitution.
- Cassidy cited positive aspects of Blanche’s record as part of his reasoning for the vote.
- The confirmation followed a contentious process, with Cassidy facing criticism for his support.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 7 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
76/100
Craft
77/100
Hype
45/100
7 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 1 of the 7 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
The US Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General on 9 August 2026 by a 50-49 vote. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana cast the deciding vote after expressing reservations about Blanche’s nomination. The confirmation followed a narrow margin, with no Democratic support reported.
Cassidy explained his vote in a 10 August interview on CBS’s *Face the Nation*. He said the decision was not a "black or white" one and acknowledged that he does not fully trust Blanche to uphold the Constitution. Cassidy also noted there were "positive things to say" about Blanche, though he did not specify what those were.
What the coverage left out
None of the digests specified what Cassidy considered the "positive things" about Blanche’s record. The left-rated digests did not include the exact margin of the Senate vote, while the right-rated digest omitted Cassidy’s admission that he does not fully trust Blanche.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 5 times, most recently on 9 Aug 2026, 21:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
4 rated outlets
- The four left-rated digests led on Cassidy’s admission that he does not fully trust Blanche. *Joe.My.God.* and *Raw Story* both highlighted Cassidy’s statement that he harbours "existential anxiety" about Blanche’s commitment to the Constitution. *Mediaite* and *USA Today* carried Cassidy’s remark that the decision was not a "black or white" one, framing it as a conflicted choice.
- All four digests included Cassidy’s reference to "positive things" about Blanche, though none specified what those were. *Raw Story* described Cassidy’s admission as a "stunning confession", while *Mediaite* noted the "heavy backlash" from opponents of the Trump administration.
Centre
2 rated outlets
- The two centre-rated digests focused on the procedural outcome and Cassidy’s rationale. *Newsweek* led with the 50-49 vote and described Blanche’s confirmation as an "uphill battle". *CBS News* carried Cassidy’s quote that the decision was not a "black or white" one, presenting it as a nuanced position rather than a contradiction.
Right
1 rated outlet
- The single right-rated digest, from the *Washington Times*, led on Cassidy’s statement that there are "positive things" to say about Blanche. It described Cassidy as "optimistic" about Blanche’s tenure and framed the vote as salvaging an "embattled nomination". The digest did not mention Cassidy’s lack of trust in Blanche.
Read it at the source
7 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
4- Sen. Bill Cassidy Defends Vote To Confirm Blanche (opens Joe.My.God. in a new tab)
Joe.My.God. — is Joe.My.God. biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Bill Cassidy says Todd Blanche vote wasn't 'black or white decision' (opens USA Today in a new tab)
- GOP Senator Defends His Deciding Vote in Todd Blanche AG Confirmation: ‘There’s a Lot of Positive Things to Say’ About Him (opens Mediaite in a new tab)
- GOP Senator who assured Todd Blanche's confirmation makes stunning confession (opens Raw Story in a new tab)
Centre
2Right
1Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
