Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday he would not pledge that the Justice Department will always operate independently of the White House, arguing President Donald Trump’s views deserve consideration while insisting federal prosecutions will proceed "without fear or any sort of favor."
Blanche Rejects Pledge Of DOJ Independence
"Will I take the president of the United States’ view on something into consideration? Yes, of course," Blanche told NBC’s "Meet the Press." Asked to pledge DOJ independence, he replied, "No, I’m not going to pledge that."
The position runs counter to post-Watergate norms designed to insulate law-enforcement decisions from political influence. DOJ’s Justice Manual says safeguards governing White House contacts are intended to protect criminal and civil enforcement decisions from "partisan or other inappropriate influences."
Blanche, Trump’s former personal criminal-defense lawyer, was sworn in last week after a 50-49 Senate confirmation. Republican Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) joined Democrats in opposing him over DOJ independence concerns, while Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) supplied a decisive vote.
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Blanche Says Trump Would Respect Legal Limits
Blanche rejected suggestions that Trump would pressure him to cross legal lines. "The president will never ask me to do something unethical or illegal," he said. He called the idea that Trump would pull him aside and demand illegal action "completely a false narrative," adding that it "will not happen, and hasn’t happened."
His confirmation fight intensified over Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund. Blanche formally rescinded it before the Senate vote after negotiations with Republican holdouts. "I’ve said repeatedly it’s dead. And he has also said it’s dead," Blanche told NBC. "There is no fund."
Benzinga reached out to the White House for a statement on Blanche’s interview comments but did not receive an immediate response.
Pirro Dispute Tests Blanche’s Independence Argument
Blanche also defended U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after Trump criticized her decision to drop a Reflecting Pool vandalism case. Trump had urged Pirro to revisit the "hastily made" decision. "I absolutely support U.S. Attorney Pirro, as does President Trump," Blanche said, while acknowledging Trump’s frustration.
The episode offered an early test of Blanche’s argument that presidential input need not dictate prosecutorial outcomes. The Associated Press reported on Friday that in his first address to DOJ employees, Blanche promised to uphold the rule of law "without fear or favor" and encouraged internal disagreement.
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Photo courtesy: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY-Imagn
