Sen. Marsha Blackburn expressed confidence that Todd Blanche will win confirmation as attorney general before the Senate breaks for August, even as a narrow Republican majority and at least one GOP defection leave almost no margin for error.
Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, told Newsmax's "Wake Up America" on Wednesday that she expects the full Senate to act on Blanche's nomination in the coming days. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche on a 12-10 party-line vote the day before, sending his name to the floor with zero Democratic support.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has already announced she will vote against Blanche, and Sen. Mitch McConnell's absence further tightens the math. With Democrats expected to remain united in opposition, Republicans can afford almost no additional defections.
Blackburn pointed to Blanche's current service to make her case. She described him as having already proved himself in the role.
"He has served well as the deputy attorney general and now as the acting attorney general. I look forward to supporting his nomination and seeing him confirmed."
Blanche has been running the Justice Department on an acting basis, and his formal nomination would cement President Trump's leadership team at DOJ. Blackburn said she believes the confirmation will happen before the chamber leaves Washington for its August state work period.
"I do think the votes are there, and I do believe that we will get him confirmed before we have the break for the August state work period."
That timeline matters. Every week the Senate spends without a confirmed attorney general is a week the department operates under an acting title, a status that invites legal challenges and limits the AG's authority to make long-term institutional changes.
Collins's opposition puts immediate pressure on Republican leadership. In a narrowly held Senate, one defection plus one absence means the margin is already razor-thin. If any other Republican joins Collins, Blanche's confirmation could stall, or fail outright.
The Judiciary Committee vote offered a preview. Every Democrat on the panel voted no, and every Republican voted yes. That 12-10 split tracked party lines exactly, a sign that the floor vote will come down to Republican unity.
The broader pattern of contested Senate confirmations has defined this session. The chamber recently advanced Jay Clayton toward confirmation as intelligence chief in another closely watched vote, and internal Republican negotiations on spending have tested the majority's cohesion on multiple fronts.
Blackburn also addressed the Trump administration's ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran. She did not hold back about the stakes.
"Iran is the globe's largest state sponsor of terrorism."
She argued that every dollar flowing to Tehran funds two things: uranium enrichment and terrorism abroad. She framed the administration's approach as the right one, saying Middle Eastern allies back the effort.
"Every dollar that Iran gets goes into enriching uranium to have a nuclear warhead and also into sponsoring terrorism."
Blackburn said the bottom line is non-negotiable: "Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and he is taking those steps." She added that "getting it resolved is the important thing to do," signaling support for the administration's posture without detailing the specific terms under discussion.
The DOJ itself has been at the center of several politically charged episodes this year, from congressional referrals involving former special counsel Jack Smith to personnel clashes at the department's field offices. Getting a confirmed attorney general in place would give the administration a stronger hand to manage those fights on its own terms.
Blackburn used the Newsmax appearance to announce legislation aimed at the Daughters of the American Revolution. The bill, called the Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Integrity Act, would amend the organization's federal charter in response to a DAR nondiscrimination policy that critics say allows biological males who identify as women to become members.
Blackburn said she heard from numerous Tennesseans upset by the policy change. Her view was blunt.
"The Daughters of the American Revolution was founded by women for women, and its founders would be appalled that the organization is now allowing biological males to become members and undermine the legacy of real women who helped build our nation."
On air, she boiled it down further: "If you are the daughters, then you are female." And: "They were established by women for women, and that is where they should stay."
The bill has bipartisan-style breadth within the Republican conference. Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama, Mike Lee of Utah, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota co-sponsored the Senate version. Rep. Ben Cline of Virginia is leading a companion bill in the House.
The DAR holds a federal charter, a distinction that gives Congress a direct say in the organization's governing rules. That legal hook is what makes the legislation possible. Without it, Congress would have no jurisdictional basis to intervene in a private organization's membership criteria.
DOJ leadership questions and institutional clashes over personnel have kept the department in the headlines for months. A confirmed attorney general would settle at least one of those open questions, assuming the votes hold.
Blackburn's confidence may be well-placed, but the math speaks for itself. Collins is a no. McConnell is absent. Democrats voted as a bloc in committee and show no signs of breaking on the floor. That means every remaining Republican senator needs to show up and vote yes.
If Blackburn is right and Blanche is confirmed before the August break, the administration locks in its attorney general and gains a freer hand at DOJ. If she is wrong, the department stays in limbo, and the questions about Republican unity get louder.
A party that holds the White House, the House, and the Senate should be able to confirm its own attorney general. If it can't, the problem isn't the nominee, it's the majority.