DOJ officials stunned by senator’s vote for Trump pick: 'What’s he smoking?'

U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 4, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Legal analysts were quick to bash Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) for his support of President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Justice Department.

Cassidy announced his support for Todd Blanche on Friday in a floor speech where he appeared to get emotional.

MS NOW reporter Ken Dilanian said that he spoke to sources inside the Justice Department who were blindsided by some of the comments in Cassidy's speech.

"Look, what I can tell you is that at the Justice Department, there are some very strong conversations going on about how bad morale is," Dilanian explained. "I had a text from a source over there who said that they could not believe that Senator Cassidy described morale as high at the Justice Department. The person said, 'What is he smoking?' Because career employees at the Department of Justice are beside themselves with the direction that Todd Blanche has taken the department."

Others said that they've been "perplexed" by some of the decisions Blanche has made. Dilanian said that DOJ career staff are "very depressed about what the road forward looks like."

"We're only a year and a half into this term. Thousands and thousands of Justice Department employees have been driven out or have left or have retired, both at the FBI and at the DOJ. And there's a lot of road left to travel here along this path that Donald Trump wants to take the Justice Department," Dilanian reported.

Former litigator Lisa Rubin, who now serves as a legal correspondent to MS NOW, wrote on X, "Prior to his speech, neither Cassidy nor his staff met with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, despite their repeated entreaties. Notwithstanding that, Cassidy said during his floor speech that among the reasons to support Blanche was that leaving him as an acting AG without Senate confirmation could risk DOJ's progress on ... human trafficking. Let that sink in."

Quinn Yeargain, professor of law and democracy at Michigan State University, commented, "Illuminating to know he’s totally good with all of this, has been totally un-serious about any qualms he has, and views his critics with contempt. Thanks for the clarity!"

National security lawyer Bradley Moss was also watching the Cassidy speech and complained, "He is going to cave. I can see it." Moss added a few moments later, "He is totally caving."

"Peak pathetic," said Democratic attorney Dave Barr. He went on to encourage Cassidy to "have some self-respect."

The Atlantic's law and democracy writer Quinta Jurecic responded to Cassidy's comments that people would be mad at him either way. "People are criticizing me unfairly, such as for my actions and their inevitable consequences," she wrote on BlueSky.

Dilanian added that if Blanche breaks his promises to the U.S. senators who agreed to support him, "they'll have no leverage." He added that it's clear GOP Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Cassidy, and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) "viewed Todd Blanche as the least of a series of bad options. That's where we are as a country right now."

"A loser to the bitter end," said lawyer Benjamin Kabak of Cassidy.

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