Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. Attorney General Todd Blanche is making some interesting comments about his independence from the White House. On Sunday, he declined to commit to always acting independently of the White House, which has some critics worried that the Justice Department is just carrying out President Donald Trump’s political agenda. I mean, can you blame them? It’s not like the Justice Department has a history of being impartial or anything.
So, Blanche told NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” that he’s not going to pledge to always act independently, and that no attorney general should ever make that promise. He also said that Trump has never asked him to cross a legal or ethical line, and that the Justice Department will “prosecute without fear or any sort of favor.” Sure, because that’s exactly what we want to hear from the attorney general – that he’s not going to play favorites.
But what really caught my attention was when Blanche suggested that he’d take the president’s views into account in individual prosecution decisions. Because, you know, that’s not a recipe for disaster or anything. He said that “every American has a voice in prosecutions,” and that includes the president. I’m not sure if that’s exactly how it’s supposed to work, but okay.
And then there’s the whole thing with the Reflecting Pool vandalism case, which Trump has been tweeting about nonstop. Blanche declined to say whether the US Attorney for the District of Columbia should revisit the case, but he did say that he supports her and so does Trump. Because, you know, that’s not a conflict of interest or anything.
But despite all the controversy surrounding the Justice Department, Blanche insists that he has the ability to disagree with Trump. He told Fox News that “the president loves disagreement” and that he wants to get counsel from all of his leaders. Sure, because that’s exactly what we’ve seen from this administration so far – a love of disagreement and a willingness to listen to opposing viewpoints.
On the issue of election integrity, which Trump has made a big deal about, Blanche said that the administration may ask the Supreme Court to decide on its efforts to obtain voter rolls from states ahead of the midterms. Because, you know, that’s not a partisan issue at all. Trump has been demanding that states turn over unredacted voter rolls and other sensitive information, which has been met with resistance from roughly 30 states.
And finally, Blanche reiterated that Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund is “dead,” but that there are still processes in place for individuals who think they were wronged by the government to seek compensation. Which, of course, has some people worried that this could include January 6 rioters. But Blanche isn’t committing to anything, saying that “anybody can file a claim against the federal government” and that he’s not going to speculate about potential litigation.
In conclusion, it’s been a wild ride watching Blanche try to navigate the complexities of being attorney general under Trump. It’s like trying to thread a needle while being attacked by a swarm of bees. But hey, at least he’s trying, right? And who knows, maybe he’ll surprise us all and turn out to be a champion of justice and integrity. But I’m not holding my breath – after all, as the saying goes, “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” And with this administration, you can bet your bottom dollar that there’s going to be some corruption going on.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
