The Weaponization Audit

President Donald Trump has defended a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund amid a Republican dispute that has stalled the confirmation of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to the permanent post.

Republican senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have withheld their support for Blanche, seeking assurances that the Justice Department will not revive the fund. Blanche has repeatedly said the proposal is “dead,” but Cornyn has pressed for stronger guarantees because the underlying settlement agreement has not been formally amended.

The fund originated in a settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the disclosure of his tax records. It was intended to compensate people deemed victims of government “weaponization,” but encountered opposition in Congress over concerns about its structure, potential beneficiaries and political influence.

Trump has called for Blanche to be confirmed and criticized Cornyn over his opposition. He suggested that Cornyn had not objected to the fund before Trump endorsed Ken Paxton, who defeated Cornyn in the Republican primary for his Senate seat. Trump has also raised the possibility of withdrawing Blanche’s nomination and resubmitting it after Cornyn and Tillis leave office in January 2027.