On Friday, July 31, 2026, President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged for the first time that the $1.8 billion so-called "Anti-Weaponization Fund" is "dead," though he expressed that he wishes it still existed. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Maryland, Trump said, "I'd like to see them compensated for the pain," referring to individuals he believes were unfairly targeted and abused.

The fund, part of a settlement with the IRS that also granted Trump and his family immunity from audits of past tax returns, has become a significant obstacle in the confirmation of Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general. Blanche, Trump's former personal defense lawyer, has been serving as acting attorney general since April and is awaiting Senate approval.

Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, key holdouts on Blanche's nomination, have demanded the Department of Justice provide written confirmation that the fund will not move forward. Cornyn has also called for narrowing the scope of Trump's immunity deal with the IRS. Blanche himself testified under oath that the fund is not progressing, but the administration has yet to commit this in writing.

Trump criticized Cornyn, stating that Cornyn had no issue with the fund until Trump endorsed Cornyn's Republican primary opponent, Ken Paxton, who subsequently won the Texas primary. On his Truth Social platform, Trump defended the fund, saying it "will not benefit me, but rather the great American Patriots who were hunted down like dogs and whose lives were unfairly and illegally destroyed by the Crooked Joe Biden Administration." He added, "I will always feel that these victims of government abuse should be paid back for what they were forced to endure, their lives have been ruined!"

Democrats and government watchdogs have labeled the fund a "slush fund," warning it could be used to pay defendants convicted for their roles in the January 6 Capitol riot. Judiciary committee Democrats have reported that Blanche privately told Senator Dick Durbin that pushing for the fund was a mistake.

The Senate majority leader, John Thune, has indicated that Blanche's nomination may return for a vote once Cornyn and Tillis are satisfied with assurances regarding the fund.

Sources