Donald Trump’s ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ Rescinded, Paving Way for Todd Blanche’s Confirmation

Donald Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund”, to compensate his political allies and Jan 6 rioters, is officially dead after the president’s pick for attorney general, Todd Blanche, announced it had been “rescinded.”

Blanche released a memo late Sunday declaring Trump’s slush fund would not go into effect. The move could secure the votes of Republican senators, Thom Tillis and John Cornyn, who were blocking Blanche’s nomination to become attorney general because of the fund. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on Blanche’s confirmation Tuesday.

“My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past seven weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions,” Blanche wrote on X. “We have enjoyed good faith discussions, and as a result issue the following order and update with regard to the May IRS settlement.”

Blanche's post included a signed order, dated August 2, that read: “The Attorney General’s May 18, 2026 Order establishing the Anti-Weaponization Fund (‘Fund’) is rescinded and shall have nor force or effect.”

The controversial “anti-weaponization fund” was created in May as part of an agreement to settle Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. It would have offered taxpayer money to people who claimed they were victims of weaponization by the federal government — including people involved in the January 6, 2021 riot on the U.S. Capitol.

Blanche had said that the Justice Department would not move forward with the fund at a June hearing but Cornyn and Tillis wanted to see that in writing before green-lighting him for attorney general.

That appeared to be enough for Cornyn and Tillis who released a joint statement Monday that they would vote to confirm Blanche.

“We are pleased that the Department of Justice has issued a formal order terminating the anti-weaponization fund,” it read. “Additionally, the Department has acknowledged in a binding written order that the audit settlement is limited to the plaintiffs and the scope does not extend beyond the defendants in the lawsuit, the IRS and the Treasury, addressing concerns that multiple of our Republican colleagues share.”

Cornyn, a member of the Judiciary Committee, has grilled Blanche about the nature of the IRS settlement during his confirmation hearing last month.

The Justice Department also confirmed that the fund would be terminated, noting that Blanche has repeatedly “advised Congress through testimony, including under oath, as well as in written responses, that the Fund is not moving forward.”

Since the president’s lawsuit against the IRS has announced, “No Members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid,” the order says. “This order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.”

However, as late as Friday, Trump was still defending the need for the fund to compensate this group, whom he said were still suffering.

“They are suffering still, many ruined, and I felt that they should be given compensation for what has been done to them,” the president said on Truth Social. “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!”

That prompted Tillis, who is retiring at the end of the year, to criticize Trump’s plans in a post on X on Saturday.

“Despite comments as late as yesterday that the fund is dead, President Trump clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks either by inappropriately establishing another bogus fund or pushing Congress to vote for a bill that the majority of Republicans in the Senate would be against,” Tillis said.

“It’s unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal,” Tillis added. “Hopefully, we can resolve this by Tuesday.”

Blanche, the president’s former personal attorney, became deputy attorney general last year. When Trump dismissed Blanche’s boss, Attorney General Pam Bondi, in April over her botched handling of the Epstein files, Blanche stepped in to the role. Trump formally nominated Blanche to become Attorney General in June.

Senate Republicans hope to wrap up the confirmation before they head out for their month-long August recess at the end of the week.