The United States Senate formally approved Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general after weeks of intense political and legal debate in Washington.
The nominee has been described as one of Trump's more controversial choices and faced strong criticism from Democrats as well as some Republicans. Opponents argued that the appointment could politicize the Justice Department and turn it into an instrument for pursuing the president's agenda against political rivals.
Trump's supporters in Congress said the Justice Department needs a decisive leader who can reform the judicial system and end what they describe as politically motivated prosecutions.
With the confirmation of the nominee to this sensitive post, Trump gains a powerful ally at the center of the federal justice system. The new attorney general could play a decisive role in the handling of legal cases and in the implementation of the administration's policies during the next four years.
