Attorney General Todd Blanche says he works "for President Trump," rejects idea of DOJ independence
On a New York Post podcast, Blanche called the separation between the Justice Department and the White House a misperception, The New Republic reported.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Wednesday that he works "for President Trump," according to The New Republic. The magazine reported that he made the comments on a New York Post podcast. He also dismissed the idea that the Justice Department operates independently of the White House.
“"There was this misperception that there's this separation and independence between the Department of Justice and the White House, and everybody likes to champion that, and they accused me of not suffering from independence," Blanche said. "I don't."”
This story is based on a single report, from The New Republic.
The comments matter because, as The New Republic describes it, the Justice Department has been expected to stay independent and free from presidential interference since at least Watergate. The magazine says that after Watergate the department adopted internal policies and new political norms meant to keep its work at a distance from the White House.
The New Republic reported that this began to change in 2024, when the Supreme Court sided with Donald Trump and expanded presidential immunity. The magazine quoted Chief Justice John Roberts' majority opinion: "The president may discuss potential investigations and prosecutions with his Attorney General and other Justice Department officials to carry out his constitutional duty to 'take care that the laws be faithfully executed.'" In the magazine's reading, the ruling opened lines of communication between the department and the presidency for all future investigations.
The New Republic, which is openly critical of the administration, argues that since then Trump has used the Justice Department for his own benefit. It says he has directed prosecutors to pursue what it calls his retribution campaign, to investigate election records and to pressure other federal institutions.
The magazine also reported that under Blanche, the department has set aside possible investigations involving Trump and his family. It said that last month Blanche showed no interest in looking into Donald Trump Jr.'s Russian ties, even after a Russian oligarch with links to Putin spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Trump Jr.'s wedding.
Several things remain unclear. The New Republic's report does not give the rest of the podcast conversation or say what question Blanche was answering. It does not include any comment from the White House or the Justice Department beyond Blanche's own words. It also does not say whether any of the department's post-Watergate policies on contact with the White House have been formally changed or withdrawn.
