Attorney General Todd Blanche's interview on "Meet the Press" on Sunday didn't go as well as he may have intended, according to one analyst.
Kristen Welker of NBC News asked Blanche whether he views the Department of Justice as a separate entity from the executive branch and whether he would refuse an illegal order from President Donald Trump. Will Saletan of The Bulwark noted in a new video on Sunday that Blanche's answers to the seemingly straightforward questions were alarming.
For instance, when asked about the DOJ's independence, Blanche replied that "No, I'm not going to pledge thatI'm not going to pledge that, and no attorney general should ever pledge that."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Saletan said. "This was a really simple question. The question was: Will federal law enforcement be independent of the White House and its political motives? And the fact that Blanche won't say yes to that question just tells you already that he is afraid of Trump and he is weak and he will let Trump control the Department of Justice."
Blanche's answer about whether he would refuse an illegal order from Trump seemed more concerning.
"The president will never ask me to do something unethical or illegal," Blanche told Welker.
Saletan noted that claim seemed at odds with the recent DOJ history.
"Wait a minute," Saletan said before putting up a picture of Trump's post from Truth Social where he directed former Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute several of his political enemies, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
"So, when Blanche sits there and says Trump would never ask him to do anything unethical or illegal, he is absolutely lying," Saletan said.