Bulwark Takes — "Todd Blanche Broke His Promise to the Senate"

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Host: Will Saletan
Date: February 2, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Todd Blanche, the former Trump lawyer elevated to Deputy Attorney General and now the public face for defending Trump administration actions that appear politically motivated and legally dubious. Will Saletan dissects Blanche’s talking points from his appearances on ABC and CNN, highlighting the ongoing normalization of targeting political opponents, redefining legal standards, and excusing potential corruption. Saletan methodically fact-checks Blanche’s claims and illuminates troubling shifts in the administration’s approach to justice and government power.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Redefining Criminality for Mass Deportations

• (01:36–03:56)
  • Blanche justifies Trump's broad deportation of undocumented immigrants by claiming mere illegal presence is inherently criminal, contradicting Trump’s original pledge to focus only on “dangerous criminals.”
  • Saletan points out the strategic shifting of definitions to rationalize a wider crackdown:

    “Blanche changes the story and says they’re all criminals because they’re all here illegally... Blanche is changing the definition to pretend Trump didn’t lie.” — Will Saletan (03:02)

2. Bypassing Judicial Oversight in Immigration Enforcement

• (03:56–04:54)
  • Blanche defends the issuance of warrants by the administration to itself, dismissing judicial checks as unnecessary due to immigration law’s “administrative” nature.
  • Saletan condemns this logic:

    “According to Blanche, it’s fine for the administration to bypass the courts and issue its own warrants because immigration law is administrative, which is basically a way of saying we don’t have to listen to the courts.” — Will Saletan (04:54)

3. Broken Promise: No Politically Motivated Prosecutions

• (05:39–07:23)
  • Stephanopoulos confronts Blanche with his prior Senate testimony promising “not even a whiff” of politically motivated prosecution.
  • Blanche dodges responsibility, calling examples of Trump’s political targets “cherry picking" and retorts that others were also prosecuted.
  • Saletan underscores Blanche’s effective admission:

    “He’s basically admitting it... they’re all pissed off. They want revenge. And that is exactly what Trump is doing...” — Will Saletan (07:23)

4. Direct Presidential Orders to Prosecute Political Enemies

• (07:51–08:47)
  • Stephanopoulos details how Trump publicly demanded investigations/prosecutions of rivals, then dismissals followed when career attorneys refused.
  • Blanche rationalizes this as executing the "President's priorities."
  • Stephanopoulos bluntly highlights the circularity:

    “You just actually made my point right there. You said it’s the president’s priorities. The president calls for them publicly to be prosecuted, says they’re guilty as hell, and then they’re prosecuted.” — George Stephanopoulos (08:26)

5. Foreign Profits & Corruption Allegations

• (09:59–10:37)
  • Wall Street Journal exposé on a $500 million UAE investment into Trump ventures prompts Blanche to claim such deals “come back to the American people.”
  • Will Saletan sharply rebukes this “absolute bullshit,” emphasizing its direct benefit to the Trump family, not the public.

6. Criminalizing Dissent & Press: The Don Lemon Arrest

• (11:50–14:14)
  • Blanche claims Don Lemon “stormed” a church during a protest, justifying arrest—despite lack of evidence and contrary judicial opinion.
  • On CNN, Blanche pleads ignorance on whether Trump even thinks about Lemon, which Saletan rebuts using multiple examples of Trump publicly targeting Lemon.
  • Memorable quote:

    “Oh, my God. You must be joking. Okay, here is Trump… calling Lemon the dumbest man on television.” — Will Saletan (13:39)

7. Double Standards in “Raids” on Political Opponents

• (14:47–15:11)
  • When FBI operates against Trump’s opponents, Blanche insists this is merely “executing a search warrant,” not a raid.
  • Saletan exposes Blanche’s hypocrisy by quoting from his own legal briefs labeling Mara-a-Lago searches as “raids” (when Trump was a target):

    “The word raid appears 20 times in this brief. So when the FBI goes in to get documents against Trump, it’s a raid. But when the FBI goes in to get documents to help Trump...it’s just a search.” — Will Saletan (15:11)

8. Conclusion: The Blanche Doctrine

• (15:11–16:49)
  • Will Saletan closes with a stark warning: Blanche’s legalistic rationalizations enable Trump to use the machinery of government for vendettas rather than justice.

    “The only difference is that now Blanche and Trump are using our government to do their dirty work.” — Will Saletan (16:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Trump lied, and now Blanche is changing the definition to pretend that Trump didn’t lie.” — Will Saletan (03:02)
• “We don’t have to listen to the courts. We just assert that all the law here is administrative so the administration can do whatever it wants.” — Will Saletan (04:54)
• “You just actually made my point right there. You said it’s the president’s priorities.” — George Stephanopoulos (08:26)
• “Absolute bullshit, and it is absolutely corrupt.” — Will Saletan on UAE investment defense (10:37)
• “Oh, my God. You must be joking. Okay, here is Trump in 2022 calling Lemon the dumbest man on television…” — Will Saletan (13:39)
• “When the FBI goes in to get documents against Trump, it’s a raid. But when the FBI goes in to get documents to help Trump with his political vendetta, it’s just a search.” — Will Saletan (15:11)
• “The only difference is that now Blanche and Trump are using our government to do their dirty work.” — Will Saletan (16:27)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:36] — Start of Will Saletan’s analysis
• [02:39] — Mass deportations and redefining criminality
• [03:56] — Administrative warrants and bypassing courts
• [05:39] — Senate promise on political prosecutions broken
• [07:51] — Trump’s public prosecution orders & Blanche’s defense
• [09:59] — UAE investment corruption controversy
• [11:50] — Don Lemon arrest & selective law enforcement
• [14:47] — FBI “raids” language hypocrisy
• [15:11] — Saletan summarizes Blanche’s enabling of government abuse

Summary Conclusion:
Will Saletan’s breakdown methodically demonstrates how Todd Blanche, once a private defense lawyer for Trump, now employs his skills as a government official to justify actions that are eroding legal norms and enabling the weaponization of justice against Trump’s rivals. The episode is a stark warning about the normalization of political vengeance, selective accountability, and government overreach under the guise of “priorities” and “administration.”