Attorney General Todd Blanche Refuses to Guarantee DOJ Independence, Raising Fears of White House Control
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Todd Blanche, handpicked by Trump and confirmed by a razor-thin Senate vote, refused to promise that the Justice Department would remain independent from the White House, sparking concerns about the erosion of democratic norms and the rule of law.
Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared on NBC's Meet the Press with Kristen Welker on Sunday, where he brazenly refused to pledge that the Justice Department would always operate independently of the White House. Blanche, echoing the authoritarian tendencies of the Trump administration, claimed that no attorney general should make such a vow—an alarming statement that signals a potential return to the days of unchecked executive power. He insisted that President Donald Trump would never ask him to cross ethical or legal lines, stating, 'The president will never ask me to do something unethical or illegal. He never has. He never will.'
Blanche's troubling stance is unsurprising given his background: confirmed by a narrow 50-49 Senate vote, he previously served as Trump’s criminal defense lawyer and has drawn criticism for his handling of high-profile cases, including the controversial relocation of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and his involvement with the notorious Epstein files. When pressed about Trump’s mass pardons of over 1,500 individuals convicted for the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, Blanche hid behind the president’s constitutional powers and refused to comment on possible future settlements, further fueling fears of impunity for political allies.
Legal scholars and democracy advocates have condemned Blanche’s remarks. University of Michigan professor Barb McQuade described his position as a dangerous departure from the Justice Department’s post-Watergate mission to act as an independent check on presidential power. Blanche’s comments come at a time of heightened scrutiny over his role in the department’s actions under the Trump administration, raising urgent questions about the future of justice and accountability in America.