Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke at CPAC 2026 in Dallas, laying out how the Justice Department under the current administration is pushing back against what he called the weaponization of government institutions, defending President Trump, and prioritizing prosecutions against drug cartels and human traffickers while restoring respect for religious groups, law enforcement, and constitutional authority.

CPAC 2026: Dep. Attorney General Todd Blanche Talks Real Justice and Restoring Constitutional Governance

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche opened the Thursday main stage at CPAC, appearing with CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp to address concerns about politicized prosecutions and the broader direction of the Department of Justice. Schlapp referenced past controversies like the Russia investigation and its fallout, setting the tone for a frank conversation about restoring faith in the justice system.

Schlapp framed those controversies as a destructive episode and asked whether justice could again be blind to party lines. Blanche agreed strongly, calling the Russia investigation a “complete and total hoax” and stressing the need to repair the stigma it left on public institutions.

“What you just said is right. First of all, thank you for letting me spend some time, and thanks for showing up, guys [to the audience]. This is a great event, and I’m honored to be here. Yeah, listen, the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax was a complete and total hoax. It almost brought down President Trump. That’s how devastating it was for this country. And unfortunately, Mr. Mueller was the leader in that. He had a storied history that went back to the Vietnam War. [The fact that he spearheaded] that [weaponization] was a disaster. It was the worst sort of weaponization of not only the government, but Congress, other prosecutors, the FBI. And it was a stigma on our country that will take a long time to recover.”

Blanche emphasized that real change began with voters, arguing that reelecting the president sent a clear message that the public would not accept partisan prosecutions. He pointed to personnel changes across the DOJ and FBI as evidence that the department is being reshaped to reflect constitutional obligations rather than political aims.

“Yes, of course we have hope! Yes, we have hope. I mean, listen, I think that what happened for the past four years was so bad and so awful. And a big part of that was what happened with the Department of Justice and the FBI and the weaponization that we saw. But, and the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, President Trump, and myself, we are changing things. 

“Full stop, we are changing things.”

He noted that more than 200 people involved in prior high-profile prosecutions had either left or been removed from DOJ rolls, and he credited Director Patel with cleaning house at the FBI. That, Blanche argued, means a different culture is now in place at the agencies responsible for federal law enforcement.

“The other things that are happening: There is not a single man or woman at the Department of Justice who had anything to do with those prosecutions. Over 200 — Over 200, either left before we came in, because they knew it was coming, or were fired or took early retirement. They are no longer employed by this department. When it comes to the FBI, which takes a lot of criticism, especially because of what happened over the past several years, Director Patel has cleaned house there too. There isn’t a single man or woman with a gun, federal agent still in that organization that had anything to do with the prosecutions. I want folks to realize what that means. President Trump, for the first time in modern history, has said, ‘I am the president, and if you work in the executive branch, you work for me.’ And guess what? We can all read the Constitution.”

Blanche also defended the department’s record on religious liberty, law enforcement, and Second Amendment issues, saying the DOJ reversed policies that had targeted Christian nonprofits and withdrew from consent decrees unless compelled to stay. He framed those reversals as part of a broader effort to stop federal overreach and protect ordinary Americans.

“When you look at the Christian community in this country, my father was a minister. I was raised in the Midwest. They were persecuted for four years. Within a week of coming in, Attorney General Bondi flipped that and said, ‘No more.’ We’re not going to go after Christian organizations. We’re not going to go after non-profits that are Christians. We’re going to go after the banks that are debanking and not letting those organizations bank.

“So, that’s something we’ve done.”

On criminal enforcement, Blanche described an aggressive stance against narco-traffickers and people who flood communities with fentanyl and other deadly drugs. He likened trafficking networks to terrorists and said the DOJ is treating them accordingly to disrupt supply and bring heavy charges.

“Folks, we are treating drug dealers like the narco-terrorists that they are. And so, I met with an Angel Mom this morning, an Angel Grandma, I think she’s going to speak at some point. And the fact that these men, mostly men, are injecting and sending poison into our country, knowing that it will kill thousands and thousands of Americans, young people, middle-aged people, your neighbors, every single year, makes them terrorists. President Trump came in and said, ‘I will stop that.’

“We are now treating terrorists and treating these narco-dealers as they should be treated. We’re blowing them up. They were arresting drug dealers every single day like we haven’t seen ever in our generation. I was in Los Angeles yesterday. That morning they hit two houses. A ton of fentanyl, cocaine. That’s just a single day I happen to be there.”

Blanche welcomed criticism from conservatives pushing for faster or tougher action, telling the audience that pressure motivates him and his team. He urged sustained public engagement to ensure the department continues on the path of constitutional enforcement and accountability.

“So when people say, ‘Why aren’t you doing more?’ I welcome that criticism. Keep on putting pressure on us. Do you think it makes me upset when you go on X and say, ‘Come on, Blanche, why aren’t we doing more?’ You don’t know me. That’s what motivates me. And so we’re going to keep on working hard, and you’re going to continue to see results, and that will not stop.”