Trump calls for ‘Anti-Weaponization Bill’ after describing the fund as ‘dead’
President Donald Trump’s shifting comments on the controversial settlement fund could further jeopardize the confirmation of his attorney general nominee.
WASHINGTON —
President Donald Trump called on Congress to pass an “Anti-Weaponization Bill” on Saturday, one day after he described the controversial settlement fund as “dead.”
The president’s comments are further inflaming a feud with two Republican senators that has been holding up the confirmation of Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Todd Blanche.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced the creation of a $1.8 billion fund to compensate Americans who believe they were unjustly investigated or prosecuted by the government, including those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer who is currently serving as acting attorney general, called off the fund following bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill.
But two key Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas, want that promise in writing before moving forward with Blanche’s confirmation, which also faces opposition from Democrats on the panel.
Asked about the status of the fund Friday, Trump told reporters, “Well, it is dead, but you know, I wish it weren’t, to be honest with you. I think people were horribly treated, horribly abused. This has nothing to do with Todd.”
But Trump changed his tone Saturday morning, renewing pressure on lawmakers to authorize the fund through the legislative process.
“If Senators Cornyn and Tillis, both upset because I wouldn’t Endorse them (they lost, and quit, respectively!), aren’t going to approve Todd Blanche, one of the most respected professionals, according to everybody, in the Country, to be the United States Attorney General, then I will keep Todd as Acting A.G., and push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill, which takes care of those who have been so badly treated by the Crooked Joe Biden (and Obuma!) Administration (I get nothing, although I was treated horribly!), PASSED,” Trump wrote on social media.
Responding to the post, Tillis said the president’s “reversal” would further jeopardize Blanche’s confirmation.
“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 wrote. “It’s unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal. Hopefully, we can resolve this by Tuesday.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee rescheduled Blanche’s confirmation vote for Tuesday, but the outcome is still unclear, with just days to go before the Senate leaves for its August recess.
The fund was part of a settlement resolving the president’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service for the leak of his tax returns.
The settlement also granted Trump and his family immunity from tax audits. Democrats want that part of the deal scrapped altogether. Cornyn is seeking more limited assurances.
“Todd Blanche said it was limited to the parties to the litigation — and it was retrospective, not prospective,” Cornyn said. “And all we’re doing is asking them to put that in writing.”
After an earlier vote was delayed, Trump suggested that he might pull Blanche’s nomination and resubmit it next year. Tillis is retiring, while Cornyn lost his reelection bid to a Trump-backed challenger in Texas’ Republican primary earlier this year.
Blanche could continue serving as acting attorney general in the meantime, but there is no guarantee that Republicans will still have control of the Senate after this fall’s midterm elections. Senate races in North Carolina and Texas are both considered competitive.
