Todd Blanche likely fueled the most potent criticism against him Wednesday with a gaffe that may haunt him beyond his ongoing confirmation hearing to become the next attorney general.
Asked by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) if Blanche and President Donald Trump are friends, Blanche replied, “I’m his lawyer” — before quickly correcting himself to say, “was his lawyer, and now I’m the deputy attorney general.”
The most enduring criticism of Blanche throughout his tenure as deputy attorney general and, more recently, as acting attorney general, has been that he has continued to act as Trump’s personal lawyer — a job he had earlier in his career — in taking steps to shield him from any potential legal harm and carry out his desired investigations and prosecutions.
Since Watergate, the attorney general has been expected to run the Justice Department independent of the White House.
Blanche rose to the highest levels of the Justice Department after working as Trump’s attorney during his Manhattan criminal trial and the two federal prosecutions against him. Since then, Blanche has frequently fended off critiques from lawmakers and others that he has continued to work on Trump’s personal behalf, rather than in service of the Constitution or the country.
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing for Blanche is still underway.
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