Acting Attorney General rescinds proposed $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, issued an order cancelling a planned $1.8 billion fund for Trump allies after Republican senators threatened to block his confirmation.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued an order Sunday evening formally rescinding a proposed $1.8 billion fund that had been announced as part of a settlement with President Donald Trump. The order states that the May 18, 2026 directive establishing the "Anti-Weaponization Fund" is null and has never been operative, noting that no members were appointed, no money was transferred and no claims were processed.
The move follows statements from Republican Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn that they would withhold support for Blanche’s confirmation unless the fund was cancelled in writing. Blanche said his team had met with committee members to address concerns and, as a result, issued the rescinding order.
The order also narrows the scope of another settlement provision that had granted broad immunity from tax audits to Trump and his family, clarifying that the immunity applies only retroactively to claims open at the time of the settlement and does not protect future filings.
"My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions," Blanche posted on X.
"Has there been a written agreement of the parties to modify the settlement fund?" Senator Cornyn asked during Blanche’s confirmation hearing. Blanche replied that the fund was never moving forward and no money had been transferred.
A spokesperson for Senator Cornyn said the senator had reached an agreement with the Justice Department regarding the fund and the IRS settlement. The Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Blanche’s nomination is scheduled for Tuesday.
The fund had been temporarily blocked by a federal judge in May amid multiple lawsuits, and the Justice Department had argued in June that the lawsuits should be dismissed as moot. Critics have described the proposal as a "slush fund," and opposition from both parties makes its future uncertain.