Anti-weaponization fund could be ‘back on the table’ if Blanche not confirmed: Trump
President Donald Trump indicated that the proposed anti-weaponization fund, which was created as part of an agreement related to a settlement with the IRS over his leaked tax returns, could be reconsidered if the Senate does not confirm acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Trump mentioned that many peopel support the fund and suggested it might be put back on the table in case Blanche’s confirmation is blocked. The fund has faced bipartisan criticism due to concerns it might be used to compensate individuals targeted in investigations, including those involved in January 6 events.
Blanche, who has been serving as acting attorney general sence April, has publicly stated that the fund’s plans will not move forward. Confirmation efforts are complicated by Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn, who want assurances that the DOJ has abandoned certain aspects of the settlement.Both senators hold influence over blanche’s confirmation, especially since Cornyn recently lost a primary challenge, and Tillis is stepping down.
Trump also criticized the Biden administration’s handling of January 6 rioters, framing the potential fund as a way to reimburse those considered victims of federal targeting. A committee vote on Blanche’s confirmation is scheduled before the Senate recess in August, with some optimism that he could proceed to a full Senate vote soon. Trump emphasized that many supporters of his favor the fund and Blanche’s confirmation, and he floated the possibility of renominating Blanche next year once current holdouts leave office.
President Donald Trump said Sunday afternoon the anti-weaponization fund he has intermittently argued for in recent months could be “back on the table” if the Senate doesn’t confirm acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“A lot of people like it,” he said while speaking to reporters on Air Force One. “If they don’t approve Todd, I could put it back on the table.”
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The fund stems from a Department of Justice-brokered settlement unveiled in May between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service stemming from the leak of his tax returns. It included the creation of a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund” to compensate people who claim the federal government improperly targeted them in investigations. The fund sparked bipartisan backlash from lawmakers who believed the Trump administration would use the money to compensate defendants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and other Trump allies.
Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and John Cornyn (R-TX) hold particular sway over Blanche’s likelihood of being confirmed, having stalled his advancement through the Senate Judiciary Committee over concerns about the fund and Blanche’s handling of meetings with victims of Jeffrey Epstein.
Blanche has said repeatedly that plans for the fund will not move forward. He has served as acting attorney general since Trump fired Pam Bondi in April.
Both Cornyn and Thillis have said they believe Blanche is qualified for the role but want written assurance the DOJ has abandoned key aspects of the settlement. Both lawmakers have reason to hold up Blanche’s nomination, as Cornyn lost to Trump-backed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his primary election while Tillis announced last summer he would not seek a third term.
“It’s because I backed Cornyn’s opponent and his opponent won in a landslide, that’s the only reason it’s happening,” Trump said. Last week, the president also floated the idea of renominating Blanche next year once the two hold-outs have left office.
“People were hurt so badly, 22 suicides, they were destroyed, their families were destroyed,” Trump said, referring to Jan. 6 rioters targeted under the Biden administration. “There’s never been an attack on any group of people in this country, in my opinion, maybe one, maybe there’s one group that was attacked violently and viciously, like these people were attacked. And this would be a reimbursement for the pain that they suffered.”
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Blanche served as Trump’s personal defense attorney from April 2023 until January 2025. A committee vote is scheduled for Tuesday before the upper chamber departs Washington for its monthlong August recess.
“A lot of people like [the fund]… a lot of big supporters of Trump like it,” the president added.
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