When Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press and declined to pledge that the Justice Department would act independently of the White House, the corporate media’s reaction was swift and predictable. According to a recent commentary in American Thinker, anchor Kristen Welker pressed Blanche with theatrical moralizing, demanding a commitment that no competent, law-abiding attorney general should ever make. Blanche calmly pointed out that such a pledge would be absurd, given that the DOJ is part of the Executive Branch and that he serves at the pleasure of the president.
A Clash of Constitutional Visions
The exchange highlighted a fundamental divide: while corporate journalists insist on an ‘independent’ DOJ, constitutional scholars and administration officials argue that the attorney general is subordinate to the president. The commentary notes that Blanche, seventh in the presidential line of succession, is accountable to President Trump, not to unelected bureaucrats. The author of the piece, Wendi Strauch Mahoney, suggests that the media’s demand for independence reflects a deep-seated disdain for constitutional governance.
Social media erupted with reactions, including from former Meet the Press host Chuck Todd, who whined about Blanche’s ‘confession.’ Todd’s incredulity that the AG recognizes his obligation to serve the president was met with mockery. Mahoney writes that such journalists are ‘constitutionally illiterate,’ unable to grasp that the DOJ is not a rogue entity empowered to act unilaterally.
Selective Outrage and Historical Hypocrisy
The commentary draws parallels to the COVID era, when figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci commanded public obedience, and the media applauded. Now, the same media voices express shock when bureaucrats don’t wield unchecked power. The piece argues that corporate journalists worship ‘experts’ and defer to the permanent government bureaucracy, but only when a Democrat occupies the White House.
Mahoney points to a pattern: when Obama and Biden used the DOJ to target political enemies, the media stayed silent or cheered. Eric Holder called himself Obama’s ‘wingman,’ and Merrick Garland’s team pursued Trump with what critics call lawfare. Yet, when a Republican is president, the media demands that the AG sever ties with the White House, creating a double standard that undermines democracy.
The Case for Accountability
The author argues that unelected officials should not have more power than elected ones. Treating AGs like Fauci or Garland as independent power centers weakens public control and threatens the constitutional republic. ‘It is the gateway drug to future dictatorship,’ Mahoney warns.
Critics of the commentary will note its partisan tone, but the core question remains: Should the attorney general be independent of the president? The Constitution places the DOJ under the Executive Branch, making the AG answerable to the commander-in-chief. The media’s insistence on independence, the piece argues, is a power grab by the ‘Deep State.’
A Wake-Up Call for the Fourth Estate
Whether one agrees with Mahoney or not, the incident exposes a deep chasm in American political discourse. As the nation moves forward, the role of the DOJ and its relationship to the White House will continue to be a flashpoint. For now, the corporate media’s outrage over Blanche’s stance seems less about constitutional principles and more about partisan allegiance.
The American Thinker piece concludes that journalists like Welker and Todd are not guardians of democracy but apologists for the administrative state. Their demand for an ‘independent’ DOJ is a bid to strip power from the elected president and vest it in the permanent bureaucracy—a dangerous proposition for any republic.
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/fake-news-journalists-love-the-deep-state/