Attorney General Todd Blanche refuses to promise that the Justice Department will always act independently of the White House, speaking Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He says the president has not asked him to prosecute specific people and that such requests will not happen.
Both outlets report Blanche’s distinction between making a general commitment to uphold DOJ responsibilities and agreeing to a specific pledge of perpetual independence. The New York Times frames his refusal as a non-commitment to always be independent of President Trump. The Hill similarly highlights that he stops short of assuring that DOJ will act independently in all circumstances, while repeating that the president has not sought, and will not seek, targeted prosecutions.
Across the two accounts, the core point is that Blanche does not give the unconditional independence pledge some may have expected, but he presents his position as aligned with DOJ’s mandate and independence in practice—particularly regarding whether Trump would direct prosecutions of particular individuals.
