Todd Blanche Senate vote: Bill Cassidy supports Trump's AG nominee, with an awful speech.
Cassidy announced he would support Blanche and defended that choice in a Senate floor speech.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYSlate is an established national publication with editorial standards and attributed authorship. This is an opinion newsletter adaptation, so its institutional credibility does not make the article’s critical interpretations equivalent to independently verified reporting.
- Source type — Established national publication; the page is identified as opinion.
- Editorial standards — Slate is an established outlet, though this piece is commentary rather than straight reporting.
- Author attribution — The article names its author.
The piece closely examines Cassidy’s public remarks and connects them to specific examples, including the proposed fund and Cassidy’s earlier support for Kennedy. It is openly critical and provides little counterargument or independent sourcing for some of its claims about Blanche and Trump.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article quotes Cassidy’s arguments and acknowledges his stated concerns, but mainly uses them as targets for criticism. It does not develop a substantial opposing case or provide much independent context.
- Counterarguments presented — Cassidy’s rationale is described, but no broader defense of confirming Blanche is developed.
- Loaded language — Repeatedly uses emphatic critical judgments about Cassidy’s reasoning.
- Opinion vs reporting — The piece is commentary that advances a clear argument.
- Source diversity — Relies largely on Cassidy’s speech and the author’s interpretation, with limited source diversity.
The article uses strongly critical framing toward Cassidy’s support for Trump’s nominee and toward Trump’s influence over the Justice Department. Its sustained argument presents confirmation as a failure to resist that influence.
- Framing — Frames confirmation as enabling or failing to constrain Trump’s influence over the Justice Department.
- Language tone — Uses pointed evaluative descriptions of Cassidy’s reasoning and decision.
- Omission — Offers little defense of Cassidy’s position beyond recounting his own stated rationale.
Bill Cassidy announced he would support Todd Blanche for attorney general, arguing that confirmation could give Blanche leverage to push back against President Trump. The article argues that Cassidy’s case overlooks Blanche’s record and offers no convincing reason to confirm him.
Cassidy said the Senate should judge Blanche on how he would perform as attorney general, not as a referendum on Trump. He argued that confirmation could give Blanche more leverage with Justice Department staff and against the president, while acknowledging concerns about a proposed fund for Trump allies and saying Blanche had made commitments about it. The author questions whether confirmation would actually constrain Trump or help Blanche carry out the president’s priorities.
The article also recalls Cassidy’s earlier support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after Kennedy made commitments concerning vaccine policy, and says Kennedy later violated those pledges. It argues that Cassidy did not address Blanche’s role in Justice Department accusations against Trump’s political opponents, and concludes that Cassidy could have used his vote to seek limits on acting officials or political prosecutions.
Community verdict
7 VOTES
People in this story
SWIPE →Senator announcing support for Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination
President’s nominee for attorney general and acting head of the Justice Department
Blanche's version of this story ↗
Former attorney general whom Trump fired
President who selected Blanche and whose influence over the Justice Department is discussed
Health and Human Services secretary whose earlier confirmation Cassidy supported
Part of a bigger story
21 OUTLETSOutlets agree Bill Cassidy said he would support Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general, a move described as likely to secure or clear a path to confirmation. Left-leaning outlets stress criticism of Cassidy’s vote and argue his stated case does not resolve concerns about Blanche or Trump’s influence over the Justice Department. Center outlets present Cassidy’s endorsement alongside his reservations about the proposed fund and tax agreement, and the opposition of Murkowski and Collins. Right-leaning outlets emphasize that Cassidy’s support could clear Blanche’s path to confirmation, with HotAir treating it as a sensible alternative to opposition.
- ARTICLES
- 23
- OUTLETS
- 21
- AVG CRED
- 65
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