Todd Blanche
Role at the time: Attorney General of the United States, at a White House press briefing
Statement summary
At a Rose Garden briefing on the day Massie forced action on his resolution, Attorney General Todd Blanche praised Hegseth and said the Justice Department actively ensures that the law is followed.
“Secretary Hegseth is doing a phenomenal job, and the secretary of war doesn’t just go off and do things. So, he follows the law. And so the DOJ plays a role in that, and we play an active role in making sure the laws are complied with.”
CNN reports Massie reading his resolution aloud on the House floor for multiple hours and carries Attorney General Todd Blanche’s response at a White House Rose Garden briefing. The New York Times Post, CBS News and NBC News reported the same Blanche remarks independently.
Why we used this label
Relative to whether the House should impeach Hegseth, Blanche responds to the impeachment push by praising Hegseth and asserting legal compliance, which argues that there is no violation warranting removal. His claim about the Justice Department’s role is his own assertion, not an established finding.