National Security Division essentially dismantled
Under Blanche's early tenure, the DOJ's National Security Division — one of the department's most important units — was essentially dismantled.
Snapshot · The Daily
From Trump’s Attorney to Attorney General: The Rise of Todd Blanche
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Jul 15, 2026
Where this was said
Ad Break: The Last Twelve Weeks Podcast
At 15:35 · chapter starts 14:15
The episode pauses for a cross-promotional segment for 'The Last Twelve Weeks,' a new podcast co-produced by Serial Productions, The Marshall Project, and The New York Times. Host Maurice Chammah describes receiving an email from a defense lawyer representing David Wood, a man who had been on death row in Texas for more than 30 years and had exhausted all appeals. The lawyer's plan: prove that one of Texas' most notorious alleged serial killers was actually innocent — something no one had managed to do in three decades. The segment closes with the hook that the defense has very little time to make that case.
Blanche as Deputy AG: Purging the Department From Day One
The first weeks of Blanche's DOJ tenure were a 'torrent' of firings. The National Security Division was dismantled. The Public Integrity Unit went from 30 staffers to 2. Blanche had so deeply internalized Trump's 'witch hunt' narrative that he had little sympathy for the people he was firing.
Public Integrity Unit cut from 30 to 2
Under Blanche's leadership, the Public Integrity Unit — the core of Jack Smith's team — was slashed from 30 staffers to just two.
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