Attorney General Todd Blanche Defends Trump Pardons During Meet the Press Interview
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Todd Blanche told NBC’s Meet the Press that President Trump’s pardons of Jan. 6 rioters do not conflict with his commitment to protect law-enforcement officers, while also noting that similar pardons were issued by Biden.
Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC’s Meet the Press that there is no inconsistency between his pledge to prosecute assaults on law-enforcement officers and President Donald Trump’s pardons of individuals convicted for the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
When moderator Kristen Welker asked whether pardoning those who assaulted police conflicted with his vow to protect officers, Blanche replied, "There’s nothing inconsistent about that. Any president’s pardon powers are not limited. So when I say … we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law, that is absolutely what President Trump expects, absolutely what I expect of our prosecutors." He added that the president’s constitutional right to pardon is separate from his department’s enforcement policies.
Welker pressed further, noting that Trump’s pardons effectively reversed accountability for the rioters. Blanche responded that he does not view the pardons as wrong and compared them to pardons issued by Joe Biden, stating, "Do not forget that a few days before President Trump pardoned the individuals … President Biden pardoned hundreds of criminals, many of whom were quite violent. So that’s his right to do that just like it’s President Trump’s right to do that."
When asked about the message to police officers, Blanche said the department’s stance remains consistent: it will protect law-enforcement personnel. The interview also covered the status of the proposed $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” which Blanche confirmed has been discontinued, and he declined to guarantee that Jan. 6 participants would receive no federal compensation, noting that any citizen can file a claim against the government.
Blanche concluded by asserting that the president would not request illegal or unethical actions from him, emphasizing his oath to the Constitution.