Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said Friday that he would vote to confirm Blanche, Trump’s former personal defense attorney who has served as acting attorney general since April. For LGBTQ+ advocates, that criticism is grounded in a Justice Department that has made transgender healthcare one of its targets. The department has also dramatically shifted the federal government’s approach to civil rights, including voting rights and protections for transgender Americans. Blanche’s rise is particularly unusual because of how closely his legal career has been tied to the president whose Justice Department he would oversee. Before joining the administration, Blanche represented Trump in the New York criminal case that resulted in Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts.