President Donald Trump is threatening to revive a controversial $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" to pressure two Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, into confirming Todd Blanche as attorney general. The senators are blocking the nomination, demanding written assurance that the fund—which could compensate January 6 rioters—is permanently dead. Trump has threatened to bypass the Senate and keep Blanche as acting AG if they refuse.
Blanche nomination standoff
- ▪Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are blocking the Senate confirmation of Todd Blanche for attorney general
- ▪President Trump has threatened to keep Todd Blanche as acting attorney general indefinitely, bypassing the Senate confirmation process
- ▪Senator Thom Tillis stated that Todd Blanche, whom he considers qualified, will not be confirmed because of Trump's reversal on the fund
- ▪The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Chuck Grassley, has scheduled a vote on Blanche's nomination for the upcoming Tuesday
- ▪Cornyn and Tillis are demanding written guarantees that the controversial "anti-weaponization fund" will be permanently dissolved
$1.8 billion settlement fund
- ▪The fund originated from a settlement in a lawsuit President Trump filed against the IRS over a leak of his tax returns
- ▪A federal judge blocked the fund's creation, ruling the settlement between Trump and his own executive branch was improper self-dealing
- ▪The Justice Department has filed an intent to appeal the federal judge's ruling that cast doubt on the fund's legitimacy
- ▪Critics fear the fund could be used to pay supporters convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot
- ▪The "anti-weaponization fund" is a proposed $1.776 billion fund to compensate individuals claiming political persecution by previous administrations
Trump's political calculations
- ▪Trump claimed on Truth Social that Cornyn and Tillis oppose Blanche because he refused to endorse them in their political races
- ▪John Cornyn lost his Republican primary race to Ken Paxton after President Trump endorsed Paxton
- ▪President Trump threatened to revive the fund and "push hard" for related legislation if his attorney general nominee is not confirmed
- ▪Thom Tillis, who has clashed with President Trump, is retiring from the Senate when his term ends in January
Weakening Senate control
- ▪Senator John Cornyn has stated that more than just two Republican senators have reservations about the fund and the settlement
- ▪In protest of the fund, Senate Republicans previously held up a $72 billion immigration bill
- ▪Republican leaders have reportedly called the fund "politically toxic" ahead of the November midterm elections
- ▪Senator Thom Tillis described the fund as a "payout pot for punks," which a majority of Senate Republicans would oppose
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