Trump Confirms He Didn’t Sign Order Killing $1.8 Billion Fund—Signaling It Might Be Revived

Aug 04, 2026 02:11 AM - 4 hours ago 4

Topline

President Donald Trump confirmed Monday he didn’t motion Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s bid that rescinded the Justice Department’s arguable “anti-weaponization fund,” which intends the colony money could perchance beryllium revived successful the early nether the position of the deal—though that apt won’t extremity Blanche from being confirmed anyway, arsenic cardinal GOP senators backed him Monday.

Attorney General Nominee Todd Blanche leaves a gathering connected Capitol Hill connected July 29 successful Washington, DC.

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Key Facts

Blanche released 2 orders Sunday nighttime addressing the DOJ’s colony statement pinch President Donald Trump, aft Cornyn and Tillis said they wouldn’t support his confirmation without written modifications to the deal.

The senators requested an bid that formally rescinded the $1.8 cardinal “anti-weaponization” fund—meant to use Trump’s governmental friends for illustration Jan. 6 rioters who felt the judicial strategy had wronged them—and narrowed the scope of an immunity woody that appeared to broadly shield Trump and his associates from prosecution aliases litigation complete acts they’ve already taken.

Blanche’s order connected the money specifies his first order establishing the money “shall person nary unit aliases effect” and states, “This Order establishes, beyond immoderate doubt, that location is nary fund.”

Critics instantly took issue pinch the bid and suggested it whitethorn not beryllium legally binding, arsenic the first colony agreement betwixt the IRS and Trump that created the money notes it tin only beryllium modified “with the written statement of the parties.”

Blanche is the only personification that signed the bid arsenic it was publically released, and Trump confirmed to reporters Monday he didn’t motion it aliases “look astatine it”—which suggests the acting AG could alteration his mind successful the early and bring backmost the fund, aliases Trump aliases different parties could writer to enforce it, arguing the money is still progressive because it was not nullified according to the position of the agreement.

Despite those issues, Cornyn and Tillis said Monday the bid is capable for them to support Blanche’s confirmation, saying successful a associated statement, “We are pleased the Department of Justice has issued a general bid terminating the anti-weaponization fund” and they “look guardant to voting to beforehand [Blanche’s] information retired of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon.”

What Did Trump Say Monday?

Trump defended the $1.8 cardinal money to reporters Monday, claiming the money would person been “very fair” and “could person given” Jan. 6 rioters “some solace” aft they were “treated horribly” by the Biden administration. “I position that money arsenic a positive, and a batch of Republicans do too,” the president claimed. When asked whether he had “signed off” connected Blanche’s order, Trump responded, “I didn’t look astatine it. All I cognize is that Todd Blanche is great.” Trump said he only knew “there’s been a motion off, but I don’t cognize what they agreed.” He said he believed Blanche had only confirmed what he’d already told Congress astir the money being dead, adding he thought what Blanche antecedently told Congress “was OK.”

Crucial Quote

Initial guidance to Blanche’s bid suggested moreover friends of the Trump management judge the acting AG’s connection rescinding the money could beryllium legally toothless. “Can beryllium undone aft Tuesday,” Mike Howell, president of the right-wing Oversight Project, said connected X, referring to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s upcoming Tuesday ballot connected Blanche’s confirmation. “The Anti-Weaponization Fund is great.”

Chief Critic

Legal experts person been broadly skeptical of Blanche’s bid since it was released, pinch Carissa Byrne Hessick, criminal rule professor astatine the University of North Carolina, writing Monday, “I spot thing successful Blanche’s missive that would forestall him from reviving the money the infinitesimal that he is confirmed.” Former U.S. Attorney Barb McQuade likewise called the bid “hollow,” noting that moreover if the money isn’t revived, the Trump management tin still make payouts to friends for illustration Jan. 6 rioters done individual settlements.

What To Watch For

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to o.k. Blanche’s information successful a ballot connected Tuesday, now that Tillis and Cornyn are connected board, which will nonstop his information to the afloat Senate. It remains to beryllium seen whether the Senate will beryllium capable to ballot connected Blanche’s confirmation earlier it leaves for its August recess astatine the extremity of the week, though Blanche will beryllium capable to stay acting lawyer wide successful the meantime sloppy of whether the ballot gets delayed.

What About The Immunity Deal?

Cornyn and Tillis besides sewage the assurances they were seeking Sunday connected Trump’s IRS immunity statement pinch the government, which was different highly arguable constituent of the settlement. An accompanying merchandise from the DOJ connected Sunday, which is unsigned, says the immunity statement only applies retroactively—meaning it cannot shield Trump from early ineligible action—and applies only to the named parties successful Trump’s suit against the IRS, which would beryllium Trump, his eldest sons and the Trump Organization, and the IRS and Treasury Department connected the government’s side. That still gives Trump and his family screen from taxation audits and different authorities investigations of their finances, but intends different Trump-affiliated businesses wouldn’t beryllium capable to declare immunity nether the agreement. Cornyn and Tillis suggested the DOJ’s assurances connected the immunity statement were capable to assuage their fears, saying successful their associated connection Monday the agency had acknowledged the narrowed scope of the statement “in a binding written bid … addressing concerns that aggregate of our Republican colleagues share.” Critics besides raised questions astir whether Blanche’s bid afloat narrows the immunity agreement, however, pinch the Tax Law Center astatine New York University noting successful a connection to reporters Monday the narrowed scope of the statement “seems to conflict pinch the existent connection of the order.”

How Could The Anti-Weaponization Fund Be Revived?

Without the parties each agreeing successful penning to rescind the $1.8 cardinal fund, it’s imaginable Blanche could simply rescind his Sunday bid and state the money is backmost successful effect. A national judge has blocked the money from moving guardant for now, but the authorities could still clear the measurement for it to beryllium revived should that bid expire. Trump could besides writer his ain DOJ for breach of contract, arguing the money should still move guardant because he didn’t work together to rescind that. Blanche addressed that anticipation astatine his Senate confirmation hearing, telling lawmakers, “I suppose if President Trump’s counsel sought to enforce it, they perchance could.” It’s besides possible the Trump management could get payouts to governmental friends moreover without formally reviving the fund, arsenic The Atlantic reports they’ve been considering. That could beryllium done done establishing a caller money abstracted from the 1 successful the colony agreement, aliases by having friends bring individual lawsuits against the authorities and awarding them colony payments.

Surprising Fact

Cornyn’s willingness to backmost Blanche’s confirmation contempt the evident ineligible loopholes successful his Sunday bid came aft the Texas legislator was the 1 to bring those loopholes up successful the first place. Cornyn asked Blanche during the nominee’s confirmation proceeding astir the colony agreement’s request that each parties had to work together to immoderate modifications, asking him if the colony statement is “enforceable arsenic a statement by the parties” and starring Blanche to concede Trump could writer for breach of contract. “Just to beryllium clear, the President of the United States, who’s a statement to this lawsuit, has not agreed successful penning to delete this weaponization fund, and there’s nary guarantee that he, aliases 1 of the different plaintiffs, mightiness raise that rumor by measurement of a suit … successful the future,” Cornyn said.

Key Background

Trump and his ain management reached their colony statement successful May, aft the president had sued the IRS for allegedly not decently keeping his taxation returns private. The $1.8 cardinal money drew wide condemnation from moreover Republicans, who opposed the Trump management paying Jan. 6 rioters convicted for assaulting rule enforcement, prompting Blanche to opportunity the money was “dead.” The DOJ’s nonaccomplishment to formally retreat the money aliases make assurances successful penning has worried critics it could still beryllium revived, however, peculiarly arsenic Trump has continued supporting it. The president said Friday the money “is dead, but I wish it weren’t,” earlier threatening complete the play to revive it if Blanche wasn’t confirmed. Cornyn and Blanche’s woody pinch the DOJ came aft the 2 senators had negotiated unsuccessfully pinch the Trump management each of past week connected modifying the colony agreement, resulting successful a planned Thursday ballot connected Blanche’s confirmation getting delayed. Senators suggested the White House, peculiarly an unnamed Trump adviser, was holding up the negotiations, and expressed concerns that the administration’s hesitance to scope a woody indicated the money could still beryllium revived. “Now it looks for illustration they weren’t being honorable erstwhile they said it was inoperative,” Tillis told The New York Times connected Thursday astir the money amid the negotiations.