Senator Amy Klobuchar asked Trump’s Attorney General candidate Todd Blanche whether it is unacceptable for federal agents to break into someone’s home without a warrant and drag them into the street without checking that they have the right person. Blanche’s answer was, somehow, “it depends.”
The question came after a St. Paul incident involving ChongLy Scott Thao, a Hmong elder who was reportedly pulled from his home by federal agents in shorts, Crocs, and a baby blanket during 10-below-zero weather. Blanche said officers need warrants “except for limited exceptions,” then added that “the same protections are not afforded people who are here illegally,” before landing on the words “not a black and white answer.”
This was not a trick question. “Should federal agents be able to smash into a home without a warrant and haul someone into the street without checking if they have the right person?” is the kind of question that comes with its own answer. Blanche looked at the Constitution, the freezing Minnesota street, the Crocs, the baby blanket, and the wrong-person problem, then opened the little lawyer door marked “circumstances.” He did not say “no.” Not “get a warrant.” Not “verify the person before dragging someone outside in winter.” Just the familiar authoritarian fog machine: limited exceptions, follow the law, depends on the circumstances, non-citizens aren’t people too.
The hearing had other great moments. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse asked Blanche about FBI Director Kash Patel, including whether he was “drinking on the job” and whether his travel was a pretext for “snorkeling Olympics and visiting girlfriends.” Blanche called the question “extraordinarily obnoxious” and said he had full faith in Patel.
“It depends” is a chilling answer to “can the government drag the wrong person from his home?”
He believes that as a rich white guy he will never be subjected to that kind of home invasion, so it's OK with him.
The state of the law would be quite different if there were some kind of legal Red Team whose job was to carry out ostensibly-legal acts on government lawyers, judges and legislators who bask in their impunity while taking official actions declaring that those things are fine to do to other people.
Of *course* The Criminal wants his personal attorney for AG.
It's just another green light for the ongoing coup.
And another candidate for a RICO, when the time comes.