--- title: "Senate confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General after Cassidy’s deciding vote" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/senate-confirms-todd-blanche-as-attorney-general-after-cassidys-deciding-vote" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/senate-confirms-todd-blanche-as-attorney-general-after-cassidys-deciding-vote" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/senate-confirms-todd-blanche-as-attorney-general-after-cassidys-deciding-vote.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/senate-confirms-todd-blanche-as-attorney-general-after-cassidys-deciding-vote" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-09T20:05:30.857Z" source_reported: "2026-08-09T18:30:00.000Z" updated: "2026-08-09T20:05:30.857Z" trust_score: 76 critic_score: 77 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-09T21:00:43.437217+00:00" --- # 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* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 76 of 100, higher is better. Trust 76: multiple independent outlets name Bill Cassidy and Senate vote, providing specific figures and timing. - Craft 77 of 100, higher is better. Critic 77: includes direct quotes, specific names and figures, and clear concise reporting. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Hype 45: some headlines use sensational language but content remains factual. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - 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. 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. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 57% (4) - Centre: 29% (2) - Right: 14% (1) 0 of 7 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-09T21:00:43.437217+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 5 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-09T21:15:46.713Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - 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 - 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 - 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. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 4 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Joe.My.God.](https://joemygod.com/2026/08/sen-bill-cassidy-defends-vote-to-confirm-blanche) — Sen. Bill Cassidy Defends Vote To Confirm Blanche - [Newsweek](https://newsweek.com/bill-cassidy-explains-why-he-backed-todd-blanche-after-near-no-vote-12301898) — Bill Cassidy reveals why he backed Todd Blanche despite major concerns - [CBS News](https://cbsnews.com/news/bill-cassidy-interview-todd-blanche-vote) — Sen. Bill Cassidy says his vote to confirm Todd Blanche wasn't a "black or white decision" - [USA Today](https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/09/bill-cassidy-trump-todd-blanche/91233762007) — Bill Cassidy says Todd Blanche vote wasn't 'black or white decision' - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/media/news/gop-senator-defends-his-deciding-vote-in-todd-blanche-ag-confirmation-theres-a-lot-of-positive-things-to-say-about-him) — GOP Senator Defends His Deciding Vote in Todd Blanche AG Confirmation: ‘There’s a Lot of Positive Things to Say’ About Him - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/bill-cassidy-2677677104) — GOP Senator who assured Todd Blanche's confirmation makes stunning confession - [Washington Times](https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/9/sen-bill-cassidy-says-positive-things-say-newly-minted-ag-todd) — Cassidy says there are ‘positive things’ to say about newly minted AG Blanche ## Questions **What was the Senate vote margin for Todd Blanche’s confirmation?** The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General by a 50-49 vote on 9 August 2026. Senator Bill Cassidy cast the deciding vote, with no reported Democratic support for the nomination. **Why did Senator Bill Cassidy vote to confirm Todd Blanche?** Cassidy said his vote was not a "black or white decision" and cited positive aspects of Blanche’s record. He also admitted he does not fully trust Blanche to uphold the Constitution but voted to confirm him anyway. **Did any outlets report what Cassidy saw as positive about Blanche?** No. Cassidy mentioned there were "positive things" about Blanche but did not specify what they were, and none of the digests included details on this point. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/senate-confirms-todd-blanche-as-attorney-general-after-cassidys-deciding-vote. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Senate confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General after Cassidy’s deciding vote", https://mediabias.news/politics/senate-confirms-todd-blanche-as-attorney-general-after-cassidys-deciding-vote