Trump says he will push to keep $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund alive amid AG nomination dispute

President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he will aggressively pursue legislation to maintain a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund after Republican senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina signaled they will not approve his nominee for attorney general, Todd Blanche. Trump wrote on his social-media platform that if the senators block Blanche’s confirmation, he will keep Blanche as acting attorney general and push the fund’s legislation through Congress.

Senators Cornyn and Tillis, both set to leave Congress, have linked their support for Blanche to the administration’s handling of the fund, which would compensate individuals pardoned after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Tillis posted on X that the president’s comments suggest an intent to revive the payout mechanism, which he described as “bogus,” and expressed concern that the dispute could delay Blanche’s confirmation.

The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote on Blanche’s nomination on Wednesday, citing the senators’ objections. At a Cabinet meeting on Friday, Trump reiterated that the fund had been blocked by a federal judge but indicated the administration would continue to seek its reinstatement, stating the issue was unrelated to the attorney-general nomination.

The anti-weaponization fund originated from a settlement in a lawsuit Trump filed against the Internal Revenue Service, which also included provisions granting the president and his family immunity from IRS audits. Cornyn and Tillis have voiced opposition to those provisions as well.

If the nomination remains stalled, Trump has indicated he may withdraw Blanche’s name and resubmit it next year after the two senators have left office.