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Independence Refused
Attorney General Todd Blanche declined on NBC’s “Meet the Press” to pledge that the Justice Department would always act independently of President Donald Trump and the White House.
“No, I’m not going to pledge that, and no attorney general should ever pledge that”
Blanche told host Kristen Welker, “No, I’m not going to pledge that. And no attorney general should ever pledge that,” and he added that Trump has “never” asked him to cross an ethical or legal line.
Blanche said he would consider Trump’s views in individual prosecution decisions, arguing that “Every American has a voice in prosecutions… So whether President Trump should have a, quote, voice, it depends, but yes,” according to CNN.
In the same interview, Blanche also said the Justice Department would “prosecute without fear or any sort of favor,” while insisting there is “this extraordinarily false narrative” that the president calls him to direct specific prosecutions.
Critics, Confirmation, Pushback
Critics have framed Blanche’s refusal as a threat to DOJ independence after his confirmation, with the CNN report noting concerns that the Justice Department is carrying out President Donald Trump’s political agenda.
Blanche rejected that framing, telling NBC that Trump has not and never will ask him to cross a legal or ethical line and that the president “loves disagreement,” as he described Trump’s expectation that leaders provide counsel without being told to say yes.
The Guardian reported that University of Michigan law professor Barb McQuade wrote on social media that Blanche’s position was “an appalling departure” from the justice department’s mission after Watergate.
In response to the independence debate, Blanche also defended his ability to disagree with Trump, saying “The president loves disagreement,” and describing counsel as advice rather than a demand for agreement.
Election Cases and Stakes
Blanche said the administration may ask the U.S. Supreme Court to decide its efforts to obtain voter rolls from states ahead of the midterms, and he called “Election integrity” something the president ran on.
“Absolutely, it’s a possibility”
Asked whether he would appeal the administration’s court losses, Blanche told Welker, “Absolutely, it’s a possibility,” while also saying “Election integrity is something that President Trump ran on, and the American people elected him.”
On the “anti-weaponization” fund, Blanche reiterated that it is “dead,” but he said processes remain for people who believe they were wronged by the federal government to seek compensation.
CNN reported that Blanche declined to guarantee that compensation wouldn’t include January 6, 2021, rioters, saying, “Well, anybody can file a claim against the federal government, not just anybody associated with January 6.”
