Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, is going on defense after his vote to confirm newly minted Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Cassidy was a key vote in Blanche's confirmation, and he appeared Aug. 9 on CBS' "Face the Nation" with Margaret Brennan to discuss his decision on who would serve as the nation's top lawyer.
When asked by Brennan if he was confident Blanche would uphold the Constitution in the upcoming midterm elections, Cassidy said "there's always this existential anxiety."
"I am as confident as you can be about the future you are," Cassidy said. "I cannot predict the future, and this is not a black or white decision. But I'm confident on that."
Cassidy's support was crucial after moderate Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins
announced they planned to vote against Blanche's nomination. Blanche needed support from every other Republican present in the Senate after Murkowski and Collins pledged to vote no. Collins faces a competitive re-election battle in November, while Cassidy is set to leave the Senate after losing his primary election to a Trump-backed challenger in May.
Blanche's nomination was controversial as detractors suggested the former personal defense attorney to Trump could be more loyal to the president than the country as a whole. Murkowski and Collins also cited concerns about immunity protections Blanche gave Trump in a controversial settlement, his choice to approve a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund that he has since tried to distance himself from, and politicization within the Justice Department.
In a speech on the Senate floor announcing his support of Blanche, Cassidy appeared visibly emotional and he said he knew he'd garner criticism for the vote. The speech was panned by some Democrats and former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who voted to impeach Trump.
In the "Face the Nation" interview, Cassidy said his wife finds his emotions endearing but he finds them embarrassing.
Cassidy said he read "about these great decisions on the Senate floor" as a little boy. "The fact that I have the ability to participate, and after an intense 48 hours of coming up with a decision that wasn't black or white," he said adding, "Now, the fact that I, Bill Cassidy, was able to do that, I am so privileged."
Cassidy voted to in favor of Trump's impeachment in 2021. Earlier this year, Trump endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow in her successful primary run to unseat Cassidy.
Contributing: Aysha Bagchi
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bill Cassidy says Todd Blanche vote wasn't 'black or white decision'
