Lone Republican Senator Votes Against Trump’s Pick for Key DOJ Position

Conservative News DailyApril 4, 2025

Harmeet Dhillon, a conservative lawyer, was confirmed as teh head of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice with a 52-45 vote in the Senate. The only republican who opposed her confirmation was Senator Lisa Murkowski, with several Democrats and independents abstaining from voting. Dhillon is known for her advocacy for civil liberties, having founded the Center for American Liberty and taking on cases related to free speech and discrimination. During her confirmation, she expressed her commitment to uphold constitutional values and ensure that the DOJ would not be used for political agendas. The Civil Rights Division has already begun to shift its focus under her leadership, investigating issues related to “sanctuary cities” and police department settlements involving high-profile cases. Dhillon’s confirmation has been gained support from figures like President Trump,who praised her dedication to protecting voters’ rights and civil liberties.

Conservative lawyer Harmeet Dhillon was confirmed Thursday to lead the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

According to the Senate Roll Call, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the only Republican who voted against Dhillon in the 52-45 vote.

Democratic Sens. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Patty Murray of Washington did not vote, nor did independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Fox News said it sought a comment from Murkowski, but the outlet did not receive one.

Congrats to my former lawyer @HarmeetKDhillon on her confirmation as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. No one will fight harder to ensure that EVERY American has their civil rights protected. A fearless champion for justice!

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) April 3, 2025

President Donald Trump recently chastised Murkowski and Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, both of Kentucky, due to their opposition to his tariff policies.

Dhillon founded the Center for American Liberty.

During her confirmation hearing, she said diversity, equity and inclusion policies created by government and private corporations are “illegal and unconstitutional.”

When Trump announced he was appointing her, he said she has stood up consistently to protect our cherished Civil Liberties, including taking on Big Tech for censoring Americans’ free speech, representing Christians who were prevented from praying together during COVID, and suing companies with discriminatory woke polices.

“Harmeet is one of the top Election lawyers in the Country, fighting to ensure that all, and ONLY, legal votes are counted,” Trump said.

According to Reuters, the Civil Rights Division has already moved in a new direction, with Attorney General Pam Bondi overseeing the Justice Department.

The division is looking into so-called sanctuary cities and has halted proposed settlements with police departments involved in the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

The division is also investigating whether the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department has violated Second Amendment gun rights.

The Center for American Liberty highlighted Dhillon’s promises she made during her confirmation hearing.

“I will start every analysis with the Constitution. I will respect the words of statutes, and the teachings of the courts, even if I disagree with them, though I will act within the law to challenge legal rulings I believe are wrong, or statutes that are unconstitutional,” she said.

“What I will NOT do, is use the DOJ Civil Rights Division as a partisan tool to push a political agenda. The Justice Department should stand for justice for all Americans.

“My parents crossed two oceans to bring me, as a small child, to America. We are Americans by choice, and I can think of no higher honor as a lawyer than to be charged with defending and advancing the civil rights of all Americans.”