Politics · AG BlancheAG Blanche Won't Pledge DOJ Independence, Will Listen to Trump on CasesAired August 17, 2026 at 10:25 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00On August 16th, newly confirmed Attorney0:02General [music] Todd Blanche said he0:03will not pledge absolute independence0:05for the Justice Department from the0:06White House [music] and will, in his0:08words, of course, listen to President0:10Donald Trump's views on prosecutions.0:12Blanche previously served [music] as0:13President Trump's personal defense0:15attorney and now leads the Justice0:17Department, a relationship at the center0:19of questions [music] about how listening0:21to the White House can coexist with0:22impartial enforcement.0:24>> [music]0:24>> He paired that willingness to listen0:25with a promise to act with integrity,0:27saying the department will uphold the0:29law without fear [music] or favor, and0:31that Trump has never asked him to do0:32anything unethical or illegal and never0:34will. The Justice Department will0:36continue litigating to obtain state0:38voter rolls despite 22 court losses so0:40far, with no new steps detailed beyond0:42continuing the cases. He defended the0:44January 6th pardons as [music]0:45constitutional and said an0:47anti-weaponization fund is dead.0:49Defended Jeanine Pirro addressed the0:51Justice Department dropping charges0:53against an Olympic [music] canoeist0:54accused of vandalizing the reflecting0:56pool at a time the president has called0:58to revisit the case and said the FBI is1:00supporting but not leading the Nancy1:02Guthrie kidnapping and missing1:03investigation. [music]1:04This account comes from a single Meet1:06the Press interview published August1:0816th, which leaves unresolved how that1:10promised listening will shape the next1:11decisions on who is charged, [music] the1:13next moves after repeated losses over1:15voter rolls, and the outcomes in the1:17reflecting pool and Guthrie matters.1:20Like and follow for more stories that1:21matter.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗