Attorney General Todd Blanche sparred repeatedly with CNN anchor Dana Bash on Sunday as he outlined how the Justice Department would respond to recent Democratic threats to investigate President Donald Trump’s administration.
Following the Democratic Party’s sweep in the midterm elections, several high-profile Democrats have threatened potential legal action against Trump and members of his Cabinet. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who is expected to chair the House Oversight Committee, wrote “lawyer up” after the election results and news that Stephen Miller would become the next White House chief of staff.
Blanche defended Miller in a post on X, saying the attorney general and the Justice Department would represent the incoming chief of staff. That prompted Bash, host of CNN’s “State of the Union,” to question whether Blanche viewed his role as extending to Cabinet officials facing congressional scrutiny.
“Do you see it as your job as attorney general to represent anyone in the administration being investigated by Congress?” Bash asked.
“Wait, do I see it as my job?” Blanche replied. “The Constitution sees it as my job. In every administration, the Department of Justice represents members of the executive branch who are called before Congress. So there is nothing unique about me saying that. Every attorney general in history represents members of the administration.”
“And this idea that Congressman Garcia comes out and says, ‘Oh, no, no. Stephen Miller needs his own personal lawyer’—I would suggest he read the Constitution,” Blanche continued. “If he doesn’t have a copy, I can arrange to send him one. But the Constitution absolutely protects members of the executive branch, and I am the attorney general. In that capacity, just as every attorney general does, we represent administration officials who appear before Congress. There is nothing unique about that.”
DON’T MISS: Woman Catches Fire at Los Angeles Hibachi Restaurant, Lawsuit Claims
During the exchange, Bash emphasized Congress’ constitutional oversight authority and asked whether Blanche was concerned that lawmakers would exercise it.
“No, no, no,” Blanche said. “They have a very important role in oversight, and I agree with that. But have you been listening to the rhetoric over the past couple of days? Do you honestly think they’re only discussing their oversight obligations when they talk about going after essentially every Cabinet member? They’re discussing impeachments. They’re talking about targeting private companies that have invested in this country over the past several years. That is not oversight. I welcome oversight. Oversight is exactly what they should be doing.”
“So are you saying that you are going to investigate them?” Bash asked, referring to Trump’s recent Truth Social post calling for an investigation into Democrats. “And what you just described—is there a crime there?”
Blanche said some Democrats’ rhetoric “could” lead to an investigation, depending on what was said. He pointed to recent comments by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., about discouraging young conservatives from seeking jobs in the federal government.
“You have free speech in this country. You are allowed to criticize President Trump, me or this administration,” Blanche said. “But when threats become so vile and dangerous that you’re telling college students they should be careful about working in the Trump administration because someone may come after them, at some point you have to draw the line.”
Fox News Digital contacted the White House, the Justice Department and Garcia’s office for comment.