Senate Confirms Harmeet Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General Amidst Near-Unanimous GOP Support
In a near-unanimous vote, the Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee, Harmeet Dhillon, as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, with only one Republican senator dissenting.
On Thursday, the Senate voted 52-45 to confirm Harmeet Dhillon to the position of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, a role pivotal in upholding civil liberties within the Justice Department. The vote saw strong support from the Republican party, with Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski being the sole GOP member to vote against Dhillon’s confirmation, aligning herself with the Democrats in this decision. Despite efforts to reach out for a comment, Senator Murkowski’s office did not respond by the time of publication.
President Trump had announced Dhillon’s nomination in December, praising her for her staunch defense of civil liberties and her legal battles against Big Tech censorship, religious discrimination during the COVID-19 crisis, and corporate ‘woke’ policies. Trump highlighted Dhillon’s credentials, including her education at Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia Law School, and her experience as a clerk in the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He also noted her significant role within the Sikh community and her expertise in election law, emphasizing her commitment to ensuring only legal votes are counted.
The confirmation comes amidst a backdrop of political tension, with Trump recently criticizing four GOP senators, including Murkowski, for what he termed ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome.’ This criticism was voiced ahead of a separate Senate vote on tariffs against Canadian products, which saw all four senators vote in favor of the resolution, despite Trump’s pressure.