Trump says anti-weaponization fund is dead amid Senate dispute over AG nominee
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President Donald Trump told reporters the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund will not be created, while Republican senators John Cornell and Thom Tillis continue to press for written assurances before confirming acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that the administration will not establish a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund that would compensate individuals prosecuted after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. He told reporters at Camp David that officials had agreed not to create the fund, though he expressed disagreement with that decision.
The statement came after Trump posted on social media that people prosecuted by the Justice Department were still suffering and should receive compensation. The comments coincided with ongoing negotiations between the White House and Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who are withholding support for Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general until they receive a written guarantee that the fund will not be revived.
"The President made it clear today that the so-called Anti Weaponization Fund is still alive, which is exactly why we are attempting to formally end it," Tillis said after Trump’s post.
Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general, previously testified that the fund would not move forward after Republican opposition stalled an immigration funding bill. The Justice Department has supplied language indicating that Blanche’s May 18 order establishing the fund is rescinded and has no force or effect.
Cornyn and Tillis also seek clarification on a separate settlement provision that would grant Trump and his family immunity from tax audits. Cornyn said the understanding was that the audit protection was limited to parties to the litigation and applied retroactively, not prospectively.
The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote on Blanche’s nomination, citing the need for additional assurances. Trump later indicated he might withdraw Blanche’s nomination and re-submit it after the two senators leave office next year. Negotiations continued on Thursday, and a source familiar with the talks said they were positive but that the senators were still awaiting a new offer from the Justice Department.
White House communications director Steven Cheung rejected claims that the administration was obstructing the process, stating that Todd Blanche would be an "exceptional Attorney General" and should be confirmed immediately. Meanwhile, Trump’s legal team notified a court of its intent to appeal a recent ruling that criticized the settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS as self-dealing.
Republican senators expressed strong opposition to the settlement, with Tillis stating that the individuals involved in the Jan. 6 attack are not "victims of government abuse." Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana added that most Senate Republicans are uncomfortable with the fund.
The dispute highlights the broader political tension surrounding the nomination and the proposed compensation scheme.