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Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a formal order late Sunday terminating the $1.8bn “anti-weaponization fund,” a move that follows weeks of negotiations with two Republican senators who had been blocking his nomination to become attorney general. The development clears a key hurdle ahead of a scheduled Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Tuesday.
The order, posted by Blanche on X/Twitter, rescinds the May 18, 2026 order that established the fund. A spokesperson for Texas Senator John Cornyn confirmed the agreement; North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis did not immediately comment.
Coverage comparison
Al Jazeera reported that Trump renewed his support for the fund on Saturday, attacking opponents of Blanche’s appointment and pointing to the fund as leverage. The outlet noted that Trump’s statements risk complicating the confirmation process.
The Guardian reported that while Blanche had repeatedly said publicly that the fund was dead, the Justice Department had resisted formally confirming that in writing. That reluctance had drawn concern from lawmakers that the fund could be revived, especially after Trump expressed continued support.
The Jerusalem Post framed the rescission as paving the way for Blanche’s confirmation, citing Republican senators’ concerns about the fund, which critics have derided as a “slush fund” for Trump’s supporters.
Key claims
- The fund was initially created by Blanche as part of a settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Trump had sued the IRS for $10bn, and the fund was designed to award compensation to individuals who claimed political persecution under former President Joe Biden.
- Critics have expressed concern that the fund could be used to reward Trump’s political allies, including those who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
- The order also limits the scope of another provision of the settlement that provided broad immunity for Trump and his family from tax audits. It clarifies that the tax audit immunity agreement “applies only retroactively” to claims open at the time of the settlement and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.
- Trump has said he would push Congress to codify the anti-weaponization fund if Blanche is not confirmed. On Saturday, he wrote on Truth Social: “It will immediately be back on the table, and I will get it done.”
- The order states that “although the acting attorney general has repeatedly advised Congress through testimony, including under oath, as well as in written responses, that the Fund is not moving forward, and the Department has repeatedly represented to district courts that the Fund is not moving forward, today’s Order officially rescinds the May 18, 2026 Order.”