Blanche Defends Pirro: Resistance Against Trump's Frustration

Attorney General Todd Blanche defended Washington, DC U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after she dismissed a federal vandalism case involving the Reflecting Pool at Lincoln Memorial, which angered President Donald Trump. Blanche claimed Pirro was pursuing other vandalism cases and that Trump also supports her. "I absolutely support U.S. Attorney Pirro, as does President Trump," he said. However, "that's different than whether the president is extraordinarily frustrated at what happened in that case." Blanche emphasized that the Justice Department traditionally decides cases without White House interference. He also stated that if Trump presses for the Reflecting Pool case to be reopened, he would consider the president's view, but "the president does not expect any of his leaders, including me, to just say 'Yes' to him no matter what he says." Blanche also noted that Pirro is handling other vandalism cases, including charging a Kentucky woman for spraying graffiti on the World War II Memorial on the National Mall.