司法部长托德·布兰奇周日回避了关于他是否会对国会民主党议员展开调查的问题，此前特朗普总统曾发表言论，要求调查所谓的“犯罪行为”。在CNN节目《国情咨文》中，布兰奇被问及特朗普下令调查国会民主党议员，原因是他们呼吁弹劾某些内阁官员。“嗯，我们在过去几天甚至过去几周看到的是赤裸裸的威胁，”这位司法部长说。
Attorney General Todd Blanche dodged questions on Sunday on whether he would open investigations into Democratic members of Congress following President Trump’s remarks to look into claims of a “criminal act.”Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Blanche was asked about Trump ordering investigations against Congressional Democrats for calling for the impeachment of certain cabinet officials. “Well, what we‘ve seen over the past several days and even over the past several weeks are outright threats,” the attorney general said.
“他们威胁捐赠者。他们威胁那些在上大学、可能想为保守派机构、保守派政府或特朗普总统工作的人。这极其令人不安。”“他们已经在谈论调查和弹劾，毫无依据、毫无事实，只是在那里到处乱跑。这应该是特朗普总统非常关切的事，我当然也非常关切，”布兰奇继续说道。主持人达娜·巴什回应称，民主党人“谈论调查是作为其监督角色的一部分。这是宪法规定的。”
“They‘ve threatened donors. They've threatened individuals who are in college and might want to work for conservative institutions or for a conservative government or for President Trump. And that is extremely troubling.”“They're already talking about investigations and impeachments with no basis, no facts, just out there running around. That should be something that President Trump is very concerned about and certainly I am as well,” Blanche continued. Host Dana Bash responded, stating Democrats were “talking about investigation as part of their oversight role. That is prescribed by the constitution.”
“我同意，他们在监督方面扮演着非常独特的角色，”布兰奇说。“你听过去几天的言论了吗？”这位司法部长表示，他听到了关于弹劾以及追查向政府投资的私营公司的言论，并指出这“不是监督”。“那么你是说你要调查他们吗？你刚才描述的情况构成犯罪吗，”巴什问道。“这取决于说了什么，”他说。“所以是的……这个国家有言论自由。你可以批评特朗普总统、批评我、批评这个政府。但当威胁变得如此卑劣、如此危险，以至于你告诉上大学的人，如果他们想在特朗普政府工作最好小心点，因为将来某个时候会有人来找他们的麻烦。”
“They have a very unique role in oversight, I agree,” Blanche said. “Have you been listening to the rhetoric the past couple of days?”The attorney general expressed he had heard talks of impeachment and going after private companies who made government investments, remarking this was “not oversight.”“So are you saying that you are going to investigate them? And what you just described is there a crime there,” Bash asked. “It depends on what‘s said,” he said. “So yes…you have free speech in this country. You are allowed to be critical of President Trump, of me, of this administration. But when the threats become so vile and so dangerous that you are telling people in college that they better be careful if they want to work in the Trump administration, because somebody will come after them at some point. You have to draw the line.”
“必须划清界限。”布兰奇在司法部的领导地位在周二的选举后面临重新审视，包括该部门介入阿拉斯加参议院选举以及为白幕僚长斯蒂芬·米勒辩护。众议员汉克·约翰逊（民主党-佐治亚州）和德博拉·罗斯（民主党-北卡罗来纳州）在民主党重新夺回众议院和参议院控制权后，已经提出了弹劾布兰奇的想法。
Blanche’s leadership at the DOJ has faced renewed scrutiny following Tuesday’s elections, including for the department’s intervention in Alaska’s Senate election and defense of White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Reps. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Deborah Ross (D-N.C.) have already floated the idea of impeaching Blanche following Democrats regained control of the House and Senate.