The Republican Senators who stood in the way of Todd Blanche’s confirmation as U.S. Attorney General said they will now support it, after Blanche signed an order Monday to formally rescind the Justice Department’s planned $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund.”
The fund was intended to compensate those who the Trump Administration claimed were unfairly persecuted by the government, and it has been the subject of bipartisan criticism—partially because payouts could extend to Jan. 6 defendants.
The Republican holdouts on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, had said that they would not stand behind the Acting Attorney General’s confirmation without a written assurance that the fund had been killed by the DOJ.
Blanche fulfilled this request after what he described as a series of “good faith discussions” with the holdouts.
“The Department always welcomes and appreciates productive engagement with all members of Congress,” Blanche wrote in his post on X, where he attached copies of the formal retraction alongside a statement from the Justice Department.
“Although the Acting Attorney General has repeatedly advised Congress through testimony, including under oath, as well as in written responses, that the Fund is not moving forward, and the Department has repeatedly represented to district courts that the Fund is not moving forward, today’s Order officially rescinds the May 18, 2026 Order,” the statement explained.
Blanche also clarified that the written order did not imply that the fund had ever been operational.
“No Members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid,” the retraction order said. “This Order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.”
In a joint statement Monday, Cornyn and Tillis said they were “pleased” by Blanche’s decision and “look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon.”
The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on whether Blanche should replace Pam Bondi as Attorney General on Tuesday. With Tillis and Cornyn back in his corner, Blanche is expected to move forward without further Republican opposition.
Could Trump revive the fund?
The “anti-weaponization fund” stemmed from the Justice Department’s settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns. It was formally established May 18.
Despite its retraction nearly three months later, Blanche indicated amid his Judiciary hearing last month that there may be avenues for the settlement to proceed in the future, such as advancing through Congress.
A congressional bill could establish a similar fund and appropriate money for it. With support from both the House and Senate, Trump could sign the bill into law—a route that he has already said he might pursue. However, the timing of such a move would be important, as its prospects of passing both chambers could shift following midterm elections in November.
Trump said on Truth Social on Saturday that he would “push hard” to keep the fund alive in some form.
“Todd Blanche was a voice of reason! It will immediately be back on the table, and I will get it done. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he wrote.
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