Blanche Scraps Trump’s ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund Ahead of AG Confirmation Fight

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche formally rescinded a controversial $1.8 billion Justice Department fund late Sunday, resolving a standoff with Senate Republicans that had stalled his nomination to serve as attorney general in a permanent capacity.

Blanche posted two separate signed orders on X Sunday night. The first eliminated what had become known as the “anti-weaponization fund,” stating plainly that “the Attorney General’s May 18, 2026 Order establishing the Anti-Weaponization Fund (‘Fund’) is rescinded and shall have no force or effect,” and adding that the order established “beyond any doubt, that there is no fund.” The second order clarified the scope of a related arrangement shielding President Donald Trump and his family from further IRS audits.

How the Fund Became a Political Liability

The fund traced back to a settlement resolving Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the agency’s handling of his tax returns, a $10 billion suit a federal judge dismissed earlier this year ahead of the deal, marking what NPR described as the first known instance of a sitting president reaching such a settlement with his own government. Critics, including some Trump allies, raised concerns that payments from the fund could extend to participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, a possibility that drew bipartisan objection.

The Senate Standoff

Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, said their support for Blanche’s confirmation hinged on the administration formally abandoning the fund in writing, rather than simply pledging not to use it. The Judiciary Committee had originally planned to vote on Blanche’s nomination last week but delayed the vote to work through the impasse. Cornyn spokesperson Natalie Yezbick confirmed in a statement that Cornyn had reached an agreement with the Justice Department, which would issue a binding written order permanently terminating the fund and clarifying that the related audit-shield agreement applied only to the plaintiffs named in the original lawsuit.

Trump’s Defense of the Fund

Trump had continued defending the fund even as the standoff dragged on, telling reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday evening that it was intended to compensate individuals targeted by the Justice Department. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, a Judiciary Committee member, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that he would exclude Jan. 6 defendants from any compensation the administration might pursue going forward.

What Comes Next

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday on advancing Blanche’s nomination, potentially setting up confirmation by the full Senate before the chamber departs for a five-week recess. Blanche wrote in his own statement that his team had engaged in what he called “good faith discussions” with committee members over recent weeks, adding that the Justice Department “always welcomes and appreciates productive engagement with all members of Congress.”