Todd Blanche declines to pledge Justice Department independence from White House

Aug 16, 2026

Newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to pledge the Justice Department's independence from the White House during an August 16, 2026 interview on NBC's "Meet the Press." Blanche stated he would take President Donald Trump's views into account for individual prosecutions and defended Trump's constitutional right to pardon January 6 rioters. While Blanche insisted the controversial $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" is dead, he refused to rule out future taxpayer-funded tort payouts to rioters.

DOJ independence from White House

▪Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to pledge that the Justice Department will always act independently of the White House during an August 16, 2026 interview on NBC's "Meet the Press."
▪Attorney General Todd Blanche asserted that President Donald Trump has never asked and will never ask him to cross an ethical or legal line.
▪Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that no attorney general should ever pledge complete independence from the White House, arguing it would prevent the Justice Department from executing presidential directives to target violent criminals.

January 6 pardons defense

▪Attorney General Todd Blanche compared President Donald Trump's January 6 pardons to former President Joe Biden's preemptive pardons of family members, military officials, and congressional committee members.
▪Attorney General Todd Blanche defended President Donald Trump's constitutional right to pardon individuals who assaulted police officers during the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
▪Attorney General Todd Blanche refused to guarantee that January 6, 2021 rioters would not receive taxpayer money through standard federal tort claims, noting anyone has a right to file such claims.

Law enforcement protection pledge

▪Attorney General Todd Blanche pledged at the Nassau County Police Academy on August 14, 2026, that the Justice Department will prosecute anyone who touches a federal law enforcement officer to the fullest extent of the law.
▪Attorney General Todd Blanche argued there is no inconsistency between his pledge to protect law enforcement and President Donald Trump's pardons of individuals who assaulted police officers on January 6, 2021.

Presidential influence on prosecutions

▪Attorney General Todd Blanche stated he would take President Donald Trump's views into consideration for individual prosecution decisions, asserting that the president should have a voice in such matters.
▪Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to say whether D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro should reopen the dismissed Reflecting Pool vandalism case, though he expressed support for Pirro.
▪Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the Trump administration may appeal to the Supreme Court to obtain unredacted state voter rolls ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Blanche confirmation concerns

▪The Justice Department formally rescinded a proposed $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" intended to compensate individuals claiming government mistreatment, which Todd Blanche confirmed is now dead.
▪The Senate confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche in August 2026 after his confirmation was partially stalled over concerns regarding his loyalty to President Donald Trump.
▪Senate concerns regarding Todd Blanche's confirmation also stemmed from his oversight of files related to Jeffrey Epstein and his past role as President Donald Trump's personal defense attorney.