In a candid interview this week, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Donald Trump would likely have faced prison time had he not won the 2024 presidential election. Blanche also said he intends to use his position within the Justice Department to prevent future prosecutions of Trump, his family, and associates if political opponents return to power.
Speaking with NewsNation host Katie Pavlich, Blanche was asked whether he believed Democrats might pursue legal action against Trump administration officials after the current term ends, a concern tied to discussions surrounding a proposed Democratic strategy some have referred to as “Project 2029.”
Blanche responded: “Do I believe it’s a possibility that the Democrats will go after President Trump, his family, anybody that knows him, anybody that worked for him? I think they’ve proven that to be true.”
He said his response to that possibility would be to continue exposing what he views as politically motivated efforts and to put “roadblocks” in place to prevent such actions from happening in the future.
“We can just keep on exposing it and putting roadblocks in place so it never happens again,” Blanche said. “I don’t worry about, for myself, what happens in the future. I worry about this country.”
In a separate appearance on Fox News Media’s Hang Out with Sean Hannity, Blanche was asked whether Trump’s 2024 election victory had spared him from incarceration.
When Hannity framed the question as “the White House or the big house,” Blanche replied, “Absolutely.”
Blanche pointed to criminal cases in Washington, D.C., Florida, and New York that would have continued had Trump lost the election.
Before joining the Justice Department, Blanche served as Trump’s personal criminal defense attorney in three of the four criminal cases brought against Trump. He joined the administration as Deputy Attorney General in March 2025 after Pam Bondi became Attorney General.
Following Bondi’s removal, Trump announced on June 4, 2026, that he intended to nominate Blanche as permanent Attorney General. Blanche is currently serving as Acting Attorney General.
Because of his prior role as Trump’s defense attorney, ethics officials reportedly instructed Blanche after joining the Justice Department that he would need to recuse himself from matters involving Trump in a personal capacity. The DOJ says he is following those directives.
The comments have drawn criticism from Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, who argue that several recent DOJ actions signed by Blanche reflect an effort to shield Trump and his associates from future legal exposure.
