Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a formal order late Sunday terminating President Trump’s $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, removing a key obstacle to his confirmation as attorney general. The rescission order came after Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina threatened to block Blanche’s nomination unless the fund was formally killed.
The anti-weaponization fund was created in May 2026 as part of a settlement in Trump v. Internal Revenue Service, a lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS. The fund was designed to compensate individuals claiming the federal government had weaponized the Justice Department against them. Blanche’s order stated the fund was “beyond any doubt” terminated, addressing months of controversy that had stalled his confirmation.
Cornyn and Tillis had demanded written assurances that the fund would not be revived. At his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in mid-July, Blanche called the fund issue “moot,” but the senators remained unconvinced until the formal rescission order. Earlier in August, Trump had threatened to withdraw Blanche’s nomination and keep him as acting attorney general while pushing Congress to pass the fund as legislation, complicating negotiations with the holdout Republicans.
The fund had drawn bipartisan criticism since its announcement. Critics called it a “slush fund” that would use taxpayer money to settle claims without normal judicial oversight. A federal judge in Virginia temporarily blocked the fund from making payouts in June, and subsequent court filings indicated the Trump administration would not pursue it further at that time. However, Trump’s recent statements suggested he remained willing to resurrect it legislatively, creating uncertainty until Blanche’s Sunday order.
The rescission clears the way for a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Blanche’s nomination, now scheduled for Tuesday. Cornyn reached a deal with the Justice Department to end the fund, according to reporting from August 3, suggesting the Republican opposition may now be resolved. If confirmed, Blanche would transition from acting attorney general to the permanent role, a move that has been complicated by this settlement-related controversy throughout the summer.
Sources
- NPR — Blanche’s formal rescission order issued late Sunday, terminating the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund ahead of his nomination hearing.
- PBS NewsHour — Cornyn and Tillis opposition to Blanche’s nomination contingent on the fund being killed.
- The Guardian — Fund created as part of Trump v. IRS settlement to compensate alleged victims of DOJ weaponization.
- The Hill — Cornyn reaches deal with DOJ to end the fund, clearing the way for Blanche’s confirmation vote.
- NBC News — Trump’s threat to revive the fund if Blanche’s nomination fails; Senate Judiciary Committee vote rescheduled.
- CNN — Trump’s ultimatum to Senate GOP regarding the fund and Blanche’s nomination.
