In brief
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche formally abandoned President Donald Trump’s plan for a $1.8 billion anti‑weaponisation fund designed to compensate Trump supporters prosecuted over the 2021 Capitol riot. The withdrawal, announced via a tweet and a signed order stating “no Fund,” removes the main obstacle preventing Blanche’s Senate confirmation. Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis had previously blocked the nomination over concerns that the fund could pay former “punks” and shield Trump and his business from IRS audits. A federal judge already blocked the fund over ethical concerns, and the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on Blanche’s nomination next week. With the plan scrapped, Blanche’s confirmation is now on track, although lingering political disputes remain.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has formally withdrawn President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion anti‑weaponisation fund, clearing the way for Senate confirmation.
The plan had been intended to compensate Trump supporters whom some allege were politically motivated prosecutions after the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot. Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis initially stalled Blanche’s nomination because of concerns that the fund could pay “punks” and preserve a broad IRS audit immunity for the president and his family.
Blanche announced the withdrawal on X, attaching a signed order that reads: “This Order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.” He also released a memo saying the IRS immunity would be limited only to the named parties in the lawsuit – Trump, his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization.
After backlash and a federal judge blocking the fund over ethical issues, a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing is scheduled to vote on Blanche’s confirmation. With the fund scrapped, the Republican holdout’s primary concern has been addressed, but political tensions surrounding the nomination remain.
