The move is vintage Trump. A loyalty play. Blanche, his former fixer, is being floated for the top job at the Justice Department. The White House confirms the nomination is imminent. But across the pond, Whitehall mandarins are sharpening their pencils.
UK legal experts are poring over the pick. They see a pattern. Trump's first AG, Jeff Sessions, recused himself from the Russia probe. Then came Bill Barr, who cleared the president on obstruction. Then a string of acting officials. Now Blanche. The question is: will this AG be a defender of the rule of law or a presidential shield?
Sources close to the UK Foreign Office say they are 'monitoring closely.' That's diplomatic code for 'deeply worried.' The concept of an independent attorney general is central to the UK legal system. The idea that the US could have an AG who is essentially the president's personal lawyer is causing alarm in the Inns of Court.
One senior barrister, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: 'This is not how a mature democracy should operate. The attorney general is not the president's lawyer. They are the people's lawyer.'
But Trump's calculation is clear. He wants an AG who will not go rogue. Someone who will investigate his enemies. Blanche fits the bill. He defended Trump in the Mueller probe and the impeachment trials. He knows where the bodies are buried.
The nomination process will be a circus. Democrats will fight it tooth and nail. But with a Republican-controlled Senate, confirmation is likely. The real drama is what happens next. Will Blanche use the DOJ to go after Trump's political rivals? Will he shut down investigations into Trump's business dealings?
UK officials are watching with a mixture of horror and fascination. They recall the days of John Mitchell, Nixon's AG who went to prison for his role in Watergate. They fear history may repeat itself.
For now, the British line is public silence. Private briefing notes are being circulated to ministers. The consensus: this could be a new low in American governance. But no one will say that out loud. Not yet.
Blanche's nomination is the latest twist in a saga that has tested the special relationship. UK law firms with US clients are already advising on contingencies. Legal scholars are comparing notes. The message from London is clear: watch this space.
