Senator Cassidy's backing of Trump’s DOJ pick sparks outrage among department staff

Senator Bill Cassidy delivered an emotional floor address in which he endorsed Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump's pick to head the Justice Department, asserting that department morale remained strong. Multiple insiders from the Justice Department reported that the statement conflicted with a prevailing feeling of low morale and frustration over Blanche's direction. Reporters cited a text from a staff member who asked, "What is he smoking?" reflecting disbelief at Cassidy's claim.

Critics, including former litigator Lisa Rubin and Michigan State law professor Quinn Yeargain, condemned the senator for not meeting with Jeffrey Epstein survivors and for supporting Blanche on questionable grounds. National security attorney Bradley Moss and Democratic lawyer Dave Barr labeled Cassidy’s stance as capitulation and urged him to retain self-respect. Other Republican senators, notably John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, are described as seeing Blanche as the least undesirable of a series of problematic candidates.