Susan Collins Announces Opposition to Todd Blanche - Here's What He'll Need to Be Confirmed
Collins said she would vote against Blanche’s nomination, citing actions she said had eroded the Justice Department’s independence.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYRedState is an opinion-oriented outlet, and this article mixes reporting with evaluative framing. It attributes key claims and vote calculations to named officials and reporters, but the page provides limited evidence of original reporting or editorial safeguards.
- Source type — Recorded as opinion; the article uses a partisan editorial frame alongside news details.
- Author attribution — An author is identified, and several claims are attributed to named sources or their posts.
- Editorial standards — The article offers little visible information about sourcing standards or corrections practices.
The article includes Collins’s stated rationale and attributes the confirmation arithmetic and senators’ responses to named journalists. It gives limited independent context and does not include a response from Blanche or a fuller account of the competing arguments.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article presents Collins’s case against Blanche in detail and gives substantial attention to the confirmation math, but offers little direct counterargument or response from Blanche. Its framing leans toward the confirmation effort.
- Source diversity — Collins’s statement and reporting by Fox News and CNN are included, but Blanche’s response is not.
- Counterarguments presented — The article reports support from Tillis and Cornyn but does not explain their reasons or present a developed defense of Blanche.
- Loaded language — Some phrasing characterizes Collins’s opposition as an obstacle to Blanche’s confirmation.
The story’s framing is sympathetic to Blanche and Trump, describing Collins’s opposition as a potential obstacle and treating support for Blanche as welcome news. It nevertheless reproduces Collins’s stated reasons and attributes the vote analysis to outside reporters.
- Framing — Collins’s opposition is framed as a wrench in the confirmation process.
- Language tone — The article uses approving language about Blanche’s supporters and their position.
- Source selection — It includes Collins’s statement and outside reporters’ vote analysis, but little response from Blanche or his supporters.
Susan Collins said she would vote against Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve permanently as attorney general, citing actions she said threatened Justice Department independence. The article says the nomination had advanced from the Senate Judiciary Committee and outlines how many Republican votes Blanche could afford to lose.
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche’s nomination to the Senate floor along party lines, according to the article. Collins announced that she would oppose confirmation, saying Blanche was capable but had taken actions that further eroded the Justice Department’s independence. She cited an order concerning IRS audits of the president and his family, an anti-weaponization fund, a promise about abortion medication, and the department’s attempted indictments of Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin. The article also reports that more than 1,200 former Justice Department employees opposed Blanche’s nomination.
Citing Fox News correspondent Chad Pergram’s arithmetic, the article says Collins’s opposition would leave Blanche with little room to lose additional Republican support if Democrats opposed him. It identifies Thom Tillis and John Cornyn as supporters, and says John Curtis, Lisa Murkowski, and Bill Cassidy might have reservations; Murkowski and Cassidy declined to comment when asked. The article also notes that Vice President J.D. Vance could vote only to break a tie.
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SWIPE →Senator opposing Todd Blanche’s nomination to be attorney general
Nominee for permanent attorney general
Blanche's version of this story ↗
Senator referenced as a target of an attempted indictment by the Justice Department
President referenced in connection with Blanche’s nomination and the IRS order
Senator whose absence is included in the vote calculation
Senate majority leader whose schedule was described as unclear
Senator identified as a possible Republican with reservations about Blanche
Senator described as supporting Blanche
Senator identified as a possible Republican with reservations about Blanche
Vice President who could break a tie in the Senate
Senator identified as a possible Republican with reservations about Blanche
Senator referenced as a target of an attempted indictment by the Justice Department
Senator described as supporting Blanche
Part of a bigger story
12 OUTLETSOutlets agree Susan Collins said she will vote against Todd Blanche’s nomination to become attorney general, citing concerns about the Justice Department’s independence. Left-leaning outlets pair that rationale with criticism of Blanche and the Trump administration, while some also question Collins’s record or credibility. Center outlets report her stated rationale and place her vote in the broader Senate confirmation picture, including its possible effect on Blanche’s prospects. Right-leaning outlets emphasize that her opposition could complicate confirmation and discuss the votes Blanche may need.
- ARTICLES
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- OUTLETS
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- AVG CRED
- 63
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