President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund has become the main obstacle to Todd Blanche’s confirmation as the next U.S. attorney general. Several prominent Republicans have stated they will not approve Blanche until the fund is completely eliminated.

Blanche has assured lawmakers that the fund is defunct and that he will not disburse any of the money. However, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina has indicated he will block any confirmation action until Blanche either renegotiates the settlement to explicitly remove the fund or Congress passes legislation to nullify it.

The Justice Department is reportedly negotiating on the issue. A department spokesperson stated, “This has been relayed before the House and Senate under oath and in multiple court filings. The department has been actively engaged with senators on language that will address their concerns about the Anti-Weaponization Fund, which does not exist and will not exist.”

Blanche acknowledged the department made mistakes in about 1% of victim redactions while handling complex cases involving individuals who were both victims and perpetrators.

Meanwhile, even Republicans supportive of Blanche questioned him about the Justice Department’s approach to a lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s 2023 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation that removed the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone. The Trump administration has criticized this FDA regulation as ill-considered.

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