How will Trump’s former personal lawyer run the US justice department?

**Sarah Smith** (0:00)
Right now, the US. Justice Department is probably attracting more scrutiny and coming under more controversy than at any time since the Watergate scandal. And that's because America's top prosecutor, the man Donald Trump has put in to be his new Attorney General, has said he doesn't think his department needs to be independent from the White House.

**Todd Blanche** (0:19)
There's a big difference between saying we will always do our job and investigate any case and act independently of the White House.
No, I'm not going to pledge that. No Attorney General should ever pledge that.

**Sarah Smith** (0:31)
Todd Blanche has a big job ahead of him. He's taking over from his predecessor, who was fired by Donald Trump, who didn't like the way she was doing the job. And he's got to take on everything from the Epstein files to compensation for January the 6th rioters and look at how to pursue Donald Trump's revenge agenda through the Justice Department. So what can we expect from the man who used to be the president's personal lawyer and how much will he be under Donald Trump's control? Welcome to Americast.

**Marianna Spring** (1:01)
Americast from BBC News.

**Donald Trump** (1:04)
You hear that sound? Oh, I think when I hear that sound, it reminds me of money.

**SPEAKER_6** (1:08)
We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it. This is a big cover up and this administration is engaged in it.

**Kristen Welker** (1:16)
This guy has Trump Derangement Syndrome.

**Marianna Spring** (1:18)
I have four words for you.

**Sarah Smith** (1:27)
Hello, it's Sarah in the BBC's Washington Bureau.

**Sumi Somaskanda** (1:30)
And it's Sumi as well, also sitting alongside Sarah in the Washington Bureau.

**Sarah Smith** (1:34)
Yes, and we're running it from DC today, what is about 10 o'clock in the morning for us on Thursday. And Sumi, we should go back before we dig into Todd Blanche and his relationship with Donald Trump to exactly what his post is, how important it is, how crucial in America. How would you describe what the US. Attorney General does? It's very different from what the UK. Attorney General does.

**Sumi Somaskanda** (1:57)
Yeah, it's a really important point. And I think one thing that is important to keep in mind as well is people think that, you know, the US of course, has three branches of government, the executive, the legislative and the judicial, the attorney general and the Department of Justice is in the executive branch. It's not in the judicial branch. So it is part of the administration. The attorney general is appointed by the president.
He or she is confirmed by the Senate and then takes on that post. And essentially, this person is the administration's top lawyer.
There are plenty of norms around how an attorney general should act in a certain independence from the White House and the president. But there aren't necessarily hard and fast laws that actually stipulate what that relationship should be like. And that's part of the controversy we're going to talk about. Of course, if there is a perceived conflict of interest for the attorney general, you can see them appoint a special counsel. Of course, we had a lot of that under President Biden previously with special counsels looking into cases where the attorney general didn't want to investigate the case himself. In that case, it was Merrick Garland. And the only other real check on the president's appointment of an attorney general is that Senate confirmation hearing. That's where you get to hear some of how that person who is being nominated by the president sees his or her role, which we did, of course, with Todd Blanche.

**Sarah Smith** (3:17)
Because ever since the Watergate scandal, it has been a tradition, hasn't it? Although not a law or a constitutional necessity, that the Justice Department operates completely separately from the White House, and they're not seen to be taking orders from the president or doing his political bidding. And that's why this clip of Todd Blanche being interviewed on NBC's Meet the Press at the weekend has been particularly controversial because he was asked precisely how he'll work with Donald Trump in his new role.

**Kristen Welker** (3:48)
Can you pledge that the Justice Department will always act independently of the White House?

**Todd Blanche** (3:53)
Well, there's a big difference between saying we will always do our job and investigate any case and act independently of the White House. No, I'm not going to pledge that. No attorney general should ever pledge that. I will act with integrity. Our prosecutors will act with integrity. We will prosecute without fear or any sort of favor. And that's exactly what we've been doing. And that's what every department of justice should do.