A primary means by which Trump has implemented this political vision is to make the Department of Justice an extended arm of the White House. The attorney general has always been accountable to the president, but DOJ has long enjoyed considerable day-to-day operational autonomy. That separation has been driven by the concern to avoid both the appearance and the reality that the White House’s political interests are distorting the administration of justice.

The Trump White House has no such concern. On the contrary, it wants it known that DOJ is pursuing the White House’s political interests. So the de facto attorney general—to whom nominal attorney general Pam Bondi and other top DOJ officials answer—appears to be White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, a non-lawyer whose sharp political skills include an inclination to utter brazen falsehoods.

Ed Whelan