Murkowski will oppose Blanche nomination, narrowing his path to confirmation
Murkowski said she would oppose Blanche’s nomination, citing concerns about presidential immunity and the Justice Department.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Houston Public Media, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
Houston Public Media is an established public-media newsroom with an institutional editorial operation.
- Source type — Established local public-media outlet.
- Editorial standards — Public-media newsroom structure supports an expectation of editorial standards.
- Author attribution — No author is identified in the article information available here.
- Transparency — The NPR section of the URL suggests syndicated material, but the article text does not provide an explicit credit.
The report includes direct statements from both senators, explains their stated concerns, and gives relevant procedural context. It relies mainly on lawmakers’ statements and does not include a response from Blanche or a fuller account of the administration’s position.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article reports the reasoning of senators on both sides and notes Blanche’s efforts to address concerns. It does not include a direct response from Blanche or a fuller defense of the administration’s position.
- Counterarguments presented — Cassidy’s case for supporting Blanche appears alongside Murkowski’s reasons for opposing him.
- Source diversity — The account relies mainly on statements from Republican senators, without a direct Blanche response.
- Omitted context — The article offers limited detail about the administration’s position on the concerns raised.
- Loaded language — Charged descriptions such as “slush fund” are attributed to Murkowski.
The article presents the senators’ opposing positions and attributes criticism of the administration and Blanche to the people making those statements. Its framing is predominantly a straightforward account of the nomination’s Senate support.
- Language tone — Mostly neutral wording, with critical language presented as direct quotation or attributed opinion.
- Source selection — Reports statements from senators supporting and opposing the nomination.
- Framing — Frames the story around the effect of senators’ positions on Blanche’s confirmation prospects.
Republished with credit
Republished from NPR, with credit to the original publisher.
50 stories · 89–90 · updated Oct 1, 2026
This is NPR's own score, and this article is credited to NPR. The host score in the Source Check is Houston Public Media's.
Lisa Murkowski said she will oppose Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination, citing concerns about presidential immunity and the Justice Department. Bill Cassidy said he will support Blanche, a vote the article describes as crucial to his confirmation path.
Murkowski said she lacks confidence that Blanche would check what she called the administration’s worst impulses, pointing to presidential immunity and the politicization of the Justice Department. She also cited the anti-weaponization fund, which Blanche said had been scrapped and formally rescinded earlier in the week.
Cassidy said he would support Blanche despite concerns about the Justice Department’s treatment of the president’s perceived political enemies and Blanche’s judgment regarding IRS audits. The article says Cassidy’s support was crucial amid Murkowski’s opposition and the absence of Mitch McConnell; it also notes that Susan Collins had announced her opposition.
Community verdict
18 VOTES
People in this story
SWIPE →Senator opposing Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination
Senator supporting Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination
Cassidy's version of this story ↗
Attorney general nominee
Senator who announced opposition to Blanche’s nomination
President referenced in connection with Blanche’s nomination and the concerns raised by senators
Senator whose absence is noted in the account of Blanche’s confirmation prospects
Senator who initially held up the committee vote on Blanche’s nomination
Senator who initially held up the committee vote on Blanche’s nomination
Part of a bigger story
31 OUTLETSThe Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general, and Lisa Murkowski voted against his confirmation. Left-leaning outlets cast Murkowski’s opposition as a setback for Trump’s nominee and highlight Trump’s response. Center outlets focus on the narrow confirmation alongside concerns about Justice Department independence and the proposed fund. Right-leaning outlets emphasize confirmation despite Republican opposition, while also including criticism of Murkowski and coverage of Trump’s attack on her.
- ARTICLES
- 36
- OUTLETS
- 31
- AVG CRED
- 73
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