Blanche Meets the Sunday Show Test
Newly confirmed U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday to discuss his new role at the Justice Department. Host Kristen Welker pressed him on whether the DOJ would always act independently from the White House. It was the kind of Sunday-show question built to sound simple, while carrying enough political baggage to require its own overhead compartment. Blanche did not accept the premise. Asked, “Can you pledge that the Justice Department will always act independently of the White House?” he answered, “No, I’m not going to pledge that! And no Attorney General should ever pledge that!”
The Dispute Over DOJ Independence
Blanche argued that a blanket pledge of independence from the White House would make little sense if the president directed the Justice Department to pursue violent criminals. He said that if President Trump said he wanted the DOJ to go after every violent criminal in the country, the question seemed to imply Blanche should refuse simply because the request came from the White House. His answer was clear: he said he would not do that. Instead, Blanche said, “I will act with integrity. Our prosecutors will act with integrity. We will prosecute without fear or any sort of favor.” That is the part of the answer that matters most, though it is less useful for television drama, which prefers smoke machines and a faint smell of scandal.
Welker Presses on Ethical Lines
Welker followed up by asking what Blanche would do if the president asked him to take an action he believed crossed an ethical or legal line. Blanche responded that Trump would never ask him to do something unethical or illegal, adding that Trump never had and never would. He also pointed to his oath to the Constitution, noting that Cabinet secretaries take that same oath. The exchange showed the familiar Washington ritual: media figures demand “independence,” officials answer with “integrity,” and everyone pretends the word game is a substitute for equal justice under law. Blanche’s central claim was that the DOJ should prosecute fairly while still carrying out lawful priorities set by an elected president.
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