Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies at a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., July 15, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Attorney General Todd Blanche has been accused of pushing the law to its limits for his boss, President Donald Trump, from facilitating a $1.776 billion slush fund for his cronies to helping him conceal files related to Trump's close friend, the late child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Now Blanche has a warning: If Democrats come after him, he may prosecute them.
"Attorney General Todd Blanche refused Sunday to rule out prosecuting Democratic lawmakers who say they'll investigate Trump officials, a day after President Trump ordered the Justice Department to probe lawmakers," reported Axios' Andrew Pantazi on Sunday. He added that it matters because "the confrontation threatens a constitutional crisis over the separation of powers: Trump is ordering prosecutors to go after lawmakers in a potential effort to hamper Congress' power to hold the executive branch accountable."
He continued, "Driving the news: In a Truth Social post Saturday, Trump accused Democrats of threatening administration officials and Republican donors with investigations and impeachment. 'This is extortion at the highest level, and they should be held accountable for this,' Trump wrote."
In this context, Blanche was asked about Trump's resentment toward lawmakers who investigate him.
"Asked whether DOJ would investigate Democratic lawmakers, Blanche did not identify a criminal statute or confirm that an investigation had begun," Axios said. "Asked whether lawmakers could face imprisonment, Blanche said it depended on what crimes they had committed. On Fox News, he said the possibility of criminal charges depended on what Democrats had said. The White House and Justice Department have not responded to requests for comment."
Democrats are not alone in accusing Trump and Blanche of corruption. Conservative columnist David French explicitly blamed Blanche for much of the Justice Department's abuses of power earlier this month.
"I’m stopping because of space, not because that’s the end of the outrages," French wrote when discussing the corruption. "In case after case after case, the Department of Justice is targeting Trump opponents, making frivolous arguments and engaging in vindictive, meritless prosecutions."
He added, "I blame Trump, but I also blame Blanche. He doesn’t understand his own job. We all know that Trump has an extreme view of executive power that renders him a virtual elected monarch. His administration’s actions extend well beyond conventional “unitary executive theory,” which puts a premium on presidential control over the executive branch. He treats the law as his plaything, deciding on his own whim which laws will be enforced and which ones will not."
