WASHINGTON, DC – Earlier in May, Kyle Reyes, owner of The 1776 Project which runs Law Enforcement Today and Blue Lives Matter, had an exclusive interview with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche during National Police Week where the two discussed everything from ongoing investigations into fraud to what it’s like working in the Trump administration.
Following the exit of Attorney General Pam Bondi this past April, President Donald Trump appointed Blanche to serve as the Acting Attorney General, thereby resulting in the former federal prosecutor inheriting a tremendous amount of responsibility during a politically and socially chaotic period in the country which Reyes highlighted.
Given the current concerns and media cycles surrounding topics likes hantaviruses and UFOs, Reyes asked Blanche, “So, you have to be just inundated, right, with stuff coming in from all over the country with priorities and needs. How do you even begin to set priorities when it's like drinking from a firehose?”
Blanche delivered a humble response, explaining one of the most critical elements to balancing all that comes with his newfound role is meaningful collaboration at all levels of government and law enforcement.
“I think the easiest way to answer is that you can't do it alone. You know…when you think about the great structure around the Department of Justice, whether it's federal agencies, FBI, DEA, Marshals, ATF, but then DHS, HSI, Border Patrol, CBP, and then state and local. So, you know, I get to sit up here and take credit for things, but it's really the work of thousands and thousands of men and women. And I'm not just saying that to make them feel good. It really is,” Blanche stated.
When expanding on the topic of law enforcement partnerships, particularly in regard to helping uncover cases of fraud which has become a pain point in terms of optics for states like Minnesota, Blanche explained how crucial it is to have federal authorities working alongside local and state law enforcement to achieve investigative results.
“So, on the frauds in the fraud space, a lot of the records, a lot of the things that we need are located within the states and located within the city governments. And so, we need those partners. We need inspector generals, state inspector generals, state AG agents that work with them, state police. We need those folks to help us build the cases that we're bringing because an individual who commits Medicare fraud or certain types of SNAP fraud in Minnesota or in New York uses the state system as well. So, it's not just enough for the feds to come in and do it alone,” Blanche remarked.
Reyes conveyed the sentiments held by many Americans currently who are questioning when “justice” is coming for the actions carried out by the prior administration, asking, “People are mad. People are upset about what happened with a weaponized DOJ and FBI under the Biden administration. And I don't think people understand just how intense the process is, the investigative process and the judicial process. Can you talk about that?”
Blanche concurred that the processes occurring behind the scenes are a lot more “intense” than many would assume, emphasizing the steps that need to be fulfilled such as interviewing witnesses, securing warrants, collecting and examining evidence, and overall developing a strong case.
“So, if you think about your normal complicated case, they take oftentimes seven, eight, nine months, a year, two years, three years sometimes to build. And so, people know, the American people know what happened for four years - three and a half years - and they're frustrated and they should be. But what I hope folks understand is that we are turning around an aircraft carrier,” Blanche explained.
While describing the fast-paced environment President Trump has fostered in his administration, Blanche detailed how the president commands a level of urgency which Blanche finds admirable considering he highlights how President Trump demonstrates that same level of urgency himself.
“[President Trump] does not want to waste time. And so, when he calls me, when he calls other secretaries, when he calls the folks that are working with him, it's not okay to say, ‘I'll get around to that.’ Okay – because that does not work for him and it shouldn't work for him. And that's what makes this such a great government to work in right now because you wake up every day saying, ‘What can I do? What am I going to do that can help further the President's agenda and make this country, for me, make this country safe?’ And so, I love it,” Blanche stated.
Check out the full interview below:
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