Trump Fund Threat Puts Todd Blanche Confirmation at Risk
Trump’s threat to revive a $1.776 billion fund has reopened the fight over Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general before an August 4 vote.
President Donald Trump’s threat to revive a Justice Department fund for people who claim they were victims of government weaponization has put Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general at risk ahead of a Senate committee vote.
Trump said Saturday, August 1, that he would keep Blanche as acting attorney general and push to restore the Anti-Weaponization Fund if Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina do not support Blanche. Tillis responded that Blanche would not be confirmed next week under the current circumstances, while saying he hoped the dispute could be resolved by Tuesday.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on Blanche’s nomination August 4. That vote would determine whether the nomination advances to the full Senate. It would not, by itself, complete Blanche’s confirmation.
What Trump threatened
Trump’s statement followed his declaration the previous day that the fund was “dead.” On Saturday, he said he would keep Blanche in the acting role and press to restore the fund if Cornyn and Tillis withheld their support.
Trump said the fund was intended to help people he considers to have been mistreated during the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Those claims of government weaponization remain allegations and should not be treated as established findings in the absence of a specific ruling or determination.
Tillis said he considers Blanche qualified but objected to Trump’s apparent decision to reopen the fund issue. Cornyn and Tillis have also sought written assurances about the fund and a separate part of the settlement involving limits on future tax audits of Trump and members of his family.
What the fund was designed to do
The Justice Department announced the Anti-Weaponization Fund on May 18 as part of a settlement involving President Trump, members of his family and the Internal Revenue Service. DOJ said the proposed fund would create a process for people who claimed they had suffered government “weaponization” or “lawfare” to seek redress.
According to the department’s announcement, the fund was to receive $1.776 billion from the federal judgment fund. It could issue formal apologies and monetary relief to eligible claimants. Claims would be voluntary and would not carry partisan eligibility requirements.
The department said the fund could be audited at the attorney general’s direction, would have to protect private information and guard against fraud, and would provide quarterly reports to the attorney general about relief awarded. The proposal called for five members appointed by the attorney general. One member would be selected in consultation with congressional leadership, and the president could remove members subject to rules governing replacements.
DOJ said the fund would stop processing claims no later than December 1, 2028. Any money remaining when the fund ceased operations would return to the federal government.
Why the fund’s status is unsettled
Blanche later said the fund would not move forward after Republican senators objected to the arrangement. The Justice Department also provided senators with language stating that Blanche’s May 18 order establishing the Anti-Weaponization Fund was “rescinded and shall have no force or effect,” according to a document reviewed by the Associated Press.
That written position is now in tension with Trump’s August 1 threat. Trump has not completed a restoration, and the fund should not be described as an operating program or as having distributed money. The immediate dispute is whether the administration will try to revive the proposal or support another legislative or administrative step to put a similar compensation process back on the table.
What happens next
The immediate test is the Senate Judiciary Committee’s reported August 4 vote. Cornyn and Tillis sit on the committee, and their support is important to advancing Blanche’s nomination toward a vote by the full Senate.
If the committee advances the nomination, Blanche would still need confirmation by the entire Senate. If the committee postpones action or does not advance it, Blanche could remain acting attorney general while the White House and senators continue negotiations.
Further statements from Trump, Blanche, DOJ, Cornyn, Tillis and the Judiciary Committee will show whether the fund dispute is resolved before Tuesday. For now, the department’s permanent leadership remains unsettled, while DOJ’s written rescission of the May 18 order conflicts with Trump’s stated intention to revive the proposal.
What are you watching most closely before the August 4 vote: the fund’s legal status, the Senate committee action or the future of DOJ’s leadership?
Sources
- Associated Press: Trump’s threat to push for settlement fund muddies attorney general talks
- U.S. Department of Justice: Anti-Weaponization Fund announcement
- Senate Judiciary Committee: Executive Business Meeting
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