Defending the administration from Congress probes is a constitutional duty, says US attorney general
US Attorney General Todd Blanche repeatedly clashed with CNN host Dana Bash on Sunday on the programme 'State of the Union'. The discussion centred on threats of investigation against the Trump administration after the Democrats' wins in the midterm elections.
Since the Democratic Party's big midterm election wins, several of its top leaders have threatened legal action against President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet.
Representative Robert Garcia of California, who is set to lead the House Oversight Committee, posted 'lawyer up' in response to the midterm wins. At the same time came the news that Stephen Miller would be promoted to White House chief of staff.
Blanche defended Miller in a post on X, writing that the Attorney General of the United States and the Department of Justice would defend the White House chief of staff. The host then asked whether he saw it as his job to represent anyone in the administration being investigated by Congress.
In reply Blanche said, 'Do you see it as my job? The Constitution sees it as my job. In every administration, the Department of Justice represents members of the executive who appear before Congress.'
He said there was nothing new in what he was saying. Every attorney general in history has represented members of the administration.
Responding to Garcia's comment that 'Stephen Miller needs his own personal lawyer', Blanche said he should read the Constitution. If he did not have a copy, Blanche said he could arrange to send him one.
Blanche said the Constitution fully protects members of the executive. As attorney general, he represents members of the administration who go before Congress every day, he said.
During the interview, Bash argued that Congress has an oversight role and asked whether Blanche was concerned about that.
Blanche said he agreed that Congress has a very distinct role in oversight. But in the rhetoric of the past few days, he said, Democrats are mainly talking about going after nearly every member of the Cabinet.
He said they are talking about impeachments and about going after private companies that have invested in the country.
The interview was broadcast on Sunday.
