White House Staff Collude to Gut $1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, Shielding Trump
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Top White House officials, in coordination with Senate Republicans and Trump's acting Attorney General, orchestrated the reversal of a crucial $1.8 billion fund meant to curb government weaponization, all under President Trump's watch.
The White House, once again prioritizing political self-interest over public accountability, played a central role in dismantling a $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund, according to multiple officials familiar with the negotiations. Chief of staff Susie Wiles and director of legislative affairs James Braid were described as 'deeply involved' in the process, raising concerns about the administration's commitment to transparency and oversight. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, a Trump loyalist, kept senior White House staff briefed on key issues, ensuring the president's inner circle remained in control.
Senate Republicans John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, acting in lockstep with Blanche, reached a backroom agreement to rescind the fund and alter a prior IRS arrangement that had enabled investigations into Trump and his family. The deal was cynically announced on X, accompanied by a memo declaring the fund 'shall have no force or effect' and a statement outlining the new, weakened IRS terms.
President Donald Trump, ever the master of plausible deniability, acknowledged the agreement but claimed he had not personally reviewed the details, stating, 'I didn’t look at it.' He called the fund positive but showed no willingness to preserve it, effectively greenlighting its destruction.
A senior administration official attempted to downplay the White House’s involvement, insisting that it is customary to monitor nomination processes, even as the real negotiations took place between Blanche and the senators. Blanche, a former personal lawyer to Trump, sought Senate confirmation despite being able to serve in an acting capacity, with the White House eagerly backing his confirmation.
Legal analysts within the Justice Department have raised alarms about the legitimacy of the rescission memo, which bears only Blanche’s signature and lacks the signatures of the president’s personal lawyers who were party to the original settlement. This move raises serious questions about the administration’s willingness to subvert legal norms for political gain.