NewsWPLG Local 10 – PoliticsJuly 31, 2026United States
Trump Says $1.8 Billion 'Anti-Weaponization' Fund is Dead Amid Senate Standoff
President Trump has stated that his proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate individuals prosecuted by the Justice Department is 'dead,' despite his continued public defense of the idea. The declaration comes as two Republican senators block the confirmation of Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche, demanding a formal, written agreement to terminate the fund and clarify the scope of tax audit immunity granted to the Trump family.
Attorney General NominationIRS SettlementAnti-Weaponization FundSenate Judiciary CommitteeJan 6 ProsecutionsExecutive Power
Read the full story at WPLG Local 10 – Politics Why It Matters
The confirmation of the Attorney General is currently stalled in the Senate, directly impacting the leadership of the Department of Justice and the finalization of a legal settlement involving $1.8 billion in potential government spending and tax audit protections for the President's family.
Key Facts
- President Trump stated the $1.8 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' is 'dead' while simultaneously defending the concept.
- Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are blocking the confirmation of Todd Blanche as Attorney General until the administration provides a written guarantee that the fund is rescinded.
- The Justice Department provided language to senators stating Blanche’s May 18 order establishing the fund is 'rescinded and shall have no force or effect.'
- Senators are seeking written clarification that tax audit immunity for the Trump family is limited to parties in the litigation and is retrospective, not prospective.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a confirmation vote for Todd Blanche originally scheduled for Thursday.
- Trump has suggested he might pull Blanche's nomination and resubmit it after Cornyn and Tillis leave office next year.
- Trump's attorneys are appealing a court ruling that characterized the settlement of his lawsuit against the IRS as an improper exercise in self-dealing.
- The settlement in question potentially includes provisions for compensating individuals prosecuted for the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
- President Trump pardoned over 1,500 individuals charged in the Jan. 6 attack on his first day back in office.
Who's Mentioned
personJohn Cornyn“Republican Senator from Texas”personBoris Epshteyn“Trump legal adviser”personSteven Cheung“White House communications director”other100“Number of Trump organization subsidiaries potentially subject to tax audits”personJohn Kennedy“Republican Senator from Louisiana”personThom Tillis“Republican Senator from North Carolina”other1,500“Number of people pardoned by Trump for Jan 6 attack”personTodd Blanche“Acting Attorney General and nominee for Attorney General”personDonald Trump“President of the United States”