Blanche defends reflecting pool prosecutor who angered Trump

US Attorney General Todd Blanche defended US Attorney Jeanine Pirro for dismissing a federal vandalism case that angered President Donald Trump, emphasizing the need for fair treatment of the top prosecutor in Washington, DC. Blanche, a former personal lawyer for Trump, took Pirro's side after she decided not to prosecute a former Olympian initially charged with vandalizing the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

He stated that Pirro was pursuing other cases of alleged vandalism and claimed that Trump backed her decision as well. Blanche told NBC's Meet the Press that he "absolutely supports US Attorney Pirro, as does President Trump," but clarified that this is different from whether the president is "extraordinarily frustrated" at the outcome of the case.

Trump has previously criticized Pirro after her office cited construction work as the primary cause of damage to the pool, while Trump blamed vandals without presenting evidence. Blanche acknowledged that he cannot pledge the Justice Department will always act independently of the White House, arguing that he cannot commit to opposing the president's policy goals.

Instead, he said, "We will prosecute without fear or any sort of favor." Blanche highlighted that Pirro was doing a "phenomenal job of enforcing" the rules on alleged vandalism at national monuments in the capital. He suggested that judging her on a single case based on the available evidence was unfair. Blanche said he would consider Trump's opinion if the president pressed for the Reflecting Pool case to be revived, but emphasized that he would not simply "say 'Yes' to him no matter what he says."