Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Trump Says Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche ‘Kept Me Out of Jail for Years’

The remark renews questions about Justice Department independence under an acting chief who previously represented him.

Overview

  • Trump, speaking at a White House event honoring law enforcement on Monday, praised Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and said Blanche had kept him out of jail for years.
  • Blanche served as Trump’s personal lawyer in the 2024 New York hush‑money trial, where Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records tied to payments to Stormy Daniels.
  • Ten days before his January 2025 inauguration, Trump received an unconditional discharge in that case with no jail time and no fine, a result prosecutors recommended to close the case while respecting the jury’s verdict.
  • After returning to office, Trump named Blanche deputy attorney general and later elevated him to acting attorney general after firing Pam Bondi.
  • Federal prosecutors dropped their two cases against Trump after his reelection under the DOJ policy against prosecuting a sitting president, while a separate Georgia state case remains on the books.