The US Senate has confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General, giving President Donald Trump’s former personal defence lawyer formal command of the Department of Justice.

The Republican-led Senate voted 50 to 49 today to confirm Blanche, making him the second attorney general confirmed since Trump returned to the White House last year. Blanche had already been running the department in an acting capacity after Trump removed Pam Bondi from the top position in April. The confirmation marked the culmination of a bitter legislative battle, underscoring deep concerns among Democrats and some Republicans about placing a close Trump ally at the helm of a Justice Department that has historically prized its independence from the White House.