Attorney General Todd Blanch stated that he works for President Trump and is not independent.
Posted by The Briefing with Jen Psaki, Checked
- Sources
- 6 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 78%
The Briefing with Jen PsakiOct 23, 2026
Multiple outlets quote Attorney General Todd Blanche on October 21, 2026, saying "I work for President Trump" and dismissing the idea of DOJ independence from the White House as a "misperception," which supports the claim's core.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… The Justice Department, as an institution, held. The people leading it knew that DOJ was meant to be independent. It was meant to work for the American people, not for the president. That was then, and this is now. There was this misperception that there's this separation and independence between the Department Justice in the White House, and everybody likes to champion, and they accuse me of not suffering from independence. I don't. I work for President Trump. That was Attorney General Todd Blanch yesterday, so less than two weeks from the election, saying that it is ridiculous anyone expects him to be independent. He says he works for Trump. Thanks for making that one clear, buddy. …
The Briefing with Jen Psaki · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Blanche is quoted on the New York Post's podcast saying "I work for President Trump" and that the idea of separation and independence between DOJ and the White House is a "misperception."[2][3][4][5]
Supports. Mediaite and The New Republic characterize the remarks as a concession that he does not operate independently of the White House, and Gizmodo reports he works for Trump rather than the American people.[3][4][6]
Supports. AP reports Blanche has been open about his view that the Justice Department does not exist independent of the White House, consistent with the claim's "not independent" element.[1]
Context. The statement was made on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, on a podcast, and the post refers to it as "yesterday"; the date discrepancy is peripheral and not contradicted by any source.[2][3][5]
Sources
6 sources: 1 fact-checker, 1 tier 3, 4 not rated
- 1Justice Department pushes politically sensitive cases ...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Todd Blanche torched after writing off DOJ independence as ‘misperception’ in brazen boastrawstory.com · tier 3 · cited for: supports, context
- 3Todd Blanche Claims DOJ Independence is a 'Misperception'mediaite.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 4Todd Blanche Says Everyone Else Is Confused About DOJ Independencenewrepublic.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Todd Blanche Says Everyone Else Is Confused About DOJ ... - Yahooyahoo.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 6Trump Is Hiding Vital Info on Surveillance Abuses ...gizmodo.com · not rated · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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