Acting AG Blanche Says Trump Has 'Right' and 'Duty' to Order DOJ Investigations Into His Enemies
In his first press conference after replacing fired AG Pam Bondi, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the president has the "right" and "duty" to direct Justice Department investigations -- including into people Trump "has had issues with."
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, in his first press conference since taking over the Justice Department, said Tuesday that President Trump has the "right" and "duty" to order the DOJ to investigate his political enemies.
"That is his right, and indeed it is his duty to do that -- meaning, to lead this country."
Blanche made the statement when asked whether he felt compelled to initiate prosecutions against Trump's political opponents. He acknowledged that among the thousands of ongoing DOJ investigations, "some of them involve men, women and entities that the president in the past has had issues with and that [he] believe[s] should be investigated."
The remarks came five days after Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 2, replacing her with Blanche -- who until 2024 served as Trump's personal criminal defense attorney in the New York hush money case, the federal classified documents case, and the federal election obstruction case.
What Blanche Said
Blanche used the press conference -- ostensibly called to announce a new National Fraud Enforcement Division -- to lay out the clearest statement yet from DOJ leadership that the department views presidential direction of investigations as legitimate executive authority.
On weaponization concerns:
"When I'm asked questions, or when I see reporting about shock and awe at this supposed weaponization of this Department of Justice, it means nothing to me, because it's completely false."
"People say the president wants to go after his political enemies. No, the president has said time and time again that he wants justice."
On the Bondi firing:
"Nobody has any idea why the attorney general is no longer the attorney general and I'm the acting attorney general, except for President Trump."
On pressure:
"I do not view this as pressure. I do not view this as something that is going to keep me up at night, except to make sure that we are investigating every case that we have to the fullest extent of the law."
The Record Under Trump's DOJ
Blanche's comments arrive against a documented track record of DOJ actions targeting people Trump has publicly identified as enemies:
| Target | Action | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| James Comey (former FBI Director) | Criminal indictment | Dismissed -- judge ruled prosecutor Lindsey Halligan was illegally appointed |
| Letitia James (New York AG) | Criminal indictment | Dismissed -- same ruling |
| Jerome Powell (Federal Reserve Chair) | Criminal investigation, grand jury subpoenas | Subpoenas quashed -- Judge Boasberg wrote the government offered "no evidence whatsoever that Powell committed any crime other than displeasing the president" |
Bondi's DOJ appealed the Comey and James dismissals in February 2026. Her firing came weeks later, with NBC News reporting Trump had grown "more and more frustrated" that Bondi had not "executed on his vision."
Why It Matters
For decades, a central norm of American governance has been that the Justice Department operates independently from White House direction on specific investigations and prosecutions. This norm -- while not codified in statute -- was formalized after Watergate through DOJ contacts policies that restricted White House communications with prosecutors about pending cases.
Blanche's statement inverts this framework. Rather than defending DOJ independence while acknowledging presidential frustration (as Bondi sometimes did), Blanche explicitly characterized presidential direction of investigations as a constitutional duty -- not a violation of norms, but the fulfillment of them.
The acting attorney general also confirmed the DOJ "supports the Department of War, the White House, Department of State" and provides counsel on military matters, though he declined to address questions about potential war crimes.
The full press conference is available on C-SPAN.