(Originally published by Los Angeles Times on August 18, 2026.)

Todd Blanche, a onetime personal lawyer for the president, squeaked through Senate confirmation recently by a single vote. Asked Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” whether the Justice Department he now leads will always act independently of the White House, Blanche declared flatly, “No, I’m not going to pledge that.” His demonstrated readiness to act as the president’s enforcer, launching criminal charges against perceived foes, demands revision of how we choose our future attorneys general — and of how presidents may dismiss them.

That the president has weaponized the Justice Department is plain. No target has proved too great, whether a former FBI chief, the New York attorney general or three sitting senators.

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