Historical Precedent Shows AG Political Involvement Is Normal, Not a Scandal
Source: https://www.facebook.com/americanspectator/. "Todd Blanche and the Justice Department Independence | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics." August 18, 2026. spectator.org
The Gist
The author argues that people are overreacting to Attorney General Todd Blanche saying he'd consider Trump's opinions on prosecutions, because attorneys general have always been political appointees who consult with presidents—just look at RFK Sr., whose name is on the DOJ building despite him being one of the most politically involved AGs in history. Since this has always been normal, the current criticism is hypocritical and unwarranted.
Conclusion
The criticism of Attorney General Todd Blanche for refusing to pledge DOJ independence from the White House is unwarranted, since the AG position has always been political in nature.
Premises
- The DOJ headquarters building is literally named after Robert F. Kennedy Sr., who was an openly political attorney general and brother/close advisor to President John F. Kennedy.
- RFK Sr.'s political involvement in DOJ matters (civil rights, Cuban Missile Crisis, steel industry pricing) was accepted despite contemporary criticism, and history has since validated him by naming the building after him.
- Many historical attorneys general (Meese, Bell, Brownell, Holder, Thornburgh, Bondi) served simultaneously as political advisors to their presidents.
- Since this pattern has persisted across administrations of both parties for decades, the position of attorney general inherently involves political considerations.
- Therefore, Blanche's statement that he would consider Trump's views on prosecutions is merely consistent with long-established historical practice, not a break from norms.
Assumptions
- Historical precedent for political involvement by attorneys general justifies or normalizes continued political involvement, regardless of changing norms or increased polarization.
- The naming of a building after RFK Sr. constitutes an endorsement of his political conduct as attorney general, rather than simply honoring him for other reasons (e.g., his broader legacy, his assassination, symbolic tribute).
- There is no meaningful difference between an attorney general privately consulting on political matters and one publicly and explicitly rejecting the principle of DOJ independence from the president on prosecutorial decisions.
- Critics of DOJ independence concerns are being inconsistent or hypocritical rather than raising legitimate concerns about a specific instance of politicization.
- The degree or type of political influence (e.g., broad policy consultation vs. specific case-by-case prosecutorial decisions) does not matter for this argument.