Attorney General Todd Blanche drew online ire after refusing to pledge that the Department of Justice will be independent of President Donald Trump.
On Sunday, Blanche was interviewed by Meet the Press host Kristen Welker, who pressed him on the DOJ's independence under Trump. Welker asked Blanche, "Can you pledge the DOJ will always act independently of the White House?"
"No, I'm not going to pledge that," Blanche shot back. "And no attorney general ever should."
"So if the president asked you to do something that you feel crosses an ethical or legal line, would you do it?" Welker followed up.
"He would never do that," Blanche responded. "He never has. He never will."
The answer shocked critics and drew outrage because of his description of Trump and his resistance to pledging that the DOJ will be independent.
"Just...wow," blogger and Kash Pate-foe Jim Stewartson wrote on X. "This is actually surreal."
"These questions have now been asked of Blanche repeatedly & he gives the same bulls--- answer each time," blasted lawyer and journalist Katie Phang, who is suing Blanche over the DOJ's redactions of the Epstein files, in a post on Bluesky. "How about we ask Blanche direct and pointed questions about his noncompliance with court orders from Judge Sullivan [who's hearing her case], compelling him to provide unredacted Epstein Files?"
Former Meet the Press host Chuck Todd described Blanche's response as a "pretty amazing confession" in an X post. "Still can't believe he was confirmed. I guess he gets points for being honest?"
CNN commentator and Democratic strategist Xochitl Hinojosa said in her reaction that Blanche gave the "wrong answer," adding that previous attorneys general have been able to promise an independent DOJ.
"Every AG has been able to give this answer: the Justice Department will act independent of the WH on all criminal matters," Hinojosa wrote. "The president should never dictate who to prosecute."