US Attorney General Todd Blanche defended Jeanine Pirro for dismissing a federal vandalism case in a decision that angered President Donald Trump, saying the top prosecutor in Washington, DC, should be judged fairly.
Blanche, a former personal lawyer for Trump who was sworn in last week as head of the Justice Department, took Pirro’s side after she decided not to prosecute a former Olympian initially charged with vandalizing the lining of the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
He said Pirro, the US attorney for Washington, DC, was pursuing other cases of alleged vandalism — and claimed Trump backs her, too.
“I absolutely support US Attorney Pirro, as does President Trump,” Blanche said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “Now, that’s different than whether the president is extraordinarily frustrated at what happened in that case. And I don’t in any way fault him for that.”
Trump has previously lashed out at Pirro, a longtime ally of the president, after her office said in a court filing that “botched” construction work was primarily to blame for damage to the coating of the pool.
Trump has repeatedly blamed the damage on vandals, without providing evidence.
Asked whether he’d promise that the Justice Department would always act independently of the White House, Blanche said, “No, I can’t pledge that,” arguing he can’t obligate himself to oppose policy goals set by the president. Instead, Blanche said, he and federal prosecutors “will act with integrity.”
“We will prosecute without fear or any sort of favor,” he told NBC. The Justice Department traditionally decides what cases to prosecute without White House interference.
Read More: Trump Says He Is Undecided on Keeping Pirro as Top DC Prosecutor
Blanche sought to shift attention to other cases of alleged vandalism at national monuments in the capital, saying Pirro “is doing a phenomenal job of enforcing that.”
“And I think judging her on a single case because of the evidence that we had is not fair,” Blanche told NBC.
While Blanche didn’t cite specific incidents, Pirro’s office last week charged a Kentucky woman with vandalism for spraying the World War II memorial on the National Mall with graffiti.
Blanche said he’d consider Trump’s opinion if the president pressed for the Reflecting Pool case to be revived.
“Will I take the president of the United States’ view on something into consideration? Yes, of course,” he said. Even so, “the president does not expect any of his leaders, including me, to just say ‘Yes’ to him no matter what he says.” he added.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche has publicly defended Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., regarding her decision to dismiss a federal vandalism case that has drawn ire from former President Donald Trump. This case involved a former Olympian who was charged with vandalizing the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Blanche, who recently took office and is a former personal lawyer for Trump, emphasized the importance of fairly evaluating Pirro’s actions and decisions.
Blanche remarked that while Trump is understandably frustrated by the outcome of this particular case, he believes Pirro should be supported, highlighting that the president also backs her. He stated on NBC’s « Meet the Press, » « I absolutely support US Attorney Pirro, as does President Trump. » However, he acknowledged that frustration is a natural response to the situation.
The controversy escalated when Pirro’s office suggested that the damage to the Reflecting Pool was primarily due to « botched » construction work rather than vandalism, which has been a point of contention for Trump. The former president has consistently attributed the damage to vandalism, although he has not provided substantial evidence for this claim.
When questioned about the independence of the Justice Department from the White House, Blanche was cautious in his response. He indicated that he could not guarantee that the Justice Department would always act independently of presidential influence, as he cannot bind himself to oppose the president’s policy objectives. Nevertheless, he assured that both he and other federal prosecutors would act with integrity, stating, « We will prosecute without fear or any sort of favor. » This reflects the traditional stance of the Justice Department in determining what cases to pursue without interference from the presidency.
In his defense of Pirro, Blanche sought to redirect attention to other ongoing cases of vandalism involving national monuments in the capital. He praised Pirro’s overall performance, asserting that she is doing an excellent job in enforcing laws against vandalism. He cautioned against judging her based solely on a single case, reiterating that a comprehensive evaluation of her work is necessary.
While he did not provide specific examples at that moment, recent actions from Pirro’s office included charging a woman from Kentucky with vandalism for spray-painting graffiti on the World War II memorial on the National Mall. Blanche’s comments suggested that Pirro is actively working on various cases and that her dismissal of the Reflecting Pool case should not overshadow her other efforts.
Blanche also acknowledged that he would consider the president’s perspective if Trump were to push for the Reflecting Pool case to be revisited, saying, « Will I take the president of the United States’ view on something into consideration? Yes, of course. » However, he stressed that the president does not expect his administration officials to simply acquiesce to his demands without question.
Overall, Blanche’s defense of Pirro underscores a delicate balance between acknowledging the frustrations of the former president while maintaining the integrity and independence of the Justice Department. His comments reflect an ongoing dialogue about the role of prosecutorial discretion and the expectations placed on federal prosecutors in politically charged contexts.
