Trump To Drop His $1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponisation Fund After Rare Republican Revolt, Judge's Rebuke
Trump To Drop His $1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponisation Fund After Rare Republican Revolt, Judge's Rebuke Published By, Last Updated: June 02, 2026, 10:44 IST The Justice
Trump To Drop His $1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponisation Fund After Rare Republican Revolt, Judge's Rebuke Published By, Last Updated: June 02, 2026, 10:44 IST The Justice Department said it would abide by a federal court ruling that halted any payouts from the $1.8 million fund aimed to compensate victims of legal persecution. Rapid Read US President Donald Trump. (Reuters Image) The US Justice Department on Monday announced that President Donald Trump was dropping his $1.776 billion “anti-weaponisation" fund after it sparked a fierce Republican backlash and a federal judge ordered a temporary block. The settlement fund has been planned to compensate people who claim they were unfairly targeted by what Trump and his allies have described as “lawfare" and “weaponisation" by the previous Joe Biden administration. However, critics have described it as a slush fund to pay friends, family, and allies with taxpayer money. The Justice Department said it would abide by a federal court ruling that halted any payouts from the fund. “The Department of Justice disagrees strongly with the decision on the Anti-Weaponisation Fund put forth by the United States District Court Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia," it said in a statement.
What Is The ‘Anti-Weaponisation’ Fund? The fund stemmed from a case Trump filed against his own administration’s Internal Revenue Service (IRS), seeking $10 billion in damages over the leak of his tax records in 2019. Trump settled the lawsuit in exchange for the creation of the “anti-weaponisation" fund to compensate victims of legal persecution under the Biden administration. As part of the settlement, Trump also secured immunity for himself, his family, and his affiliates from audits of tax returns they have already filed, which could save him at least $100 million in additional taxes and penalties, according to reports. Reports had earlier indicated that Trump was weighing the creation of the nearly $1.8 billion fund as part of negotiations to settle the case. As part of the settlement, Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization will receive a formal apology, though no financial compensation has been included. Why Was The Fund Criticised? Critics, including Senate Republicans, flagged concerns about the opacity of the fund and who could qualify for the compensation.
Concerns intensified after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to rule out whether individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot could become eligible for payouts. Republicans argued that the money could be used to pay rioters from January 6th and Trump’s political allies, even though people like Hunter Biden were also eligible to apply. Senate GOP leaders also delayed action on a $72 billion partisan bill to fund Trump’s immigration crackdown as a result of the fallout. Senate Republican Leader John Thune told reporters on Monday that the issue with the fund would have to be resolved before the legislation could move forward. Last week, a US federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from distributing money through the $1.8 billion fund. US District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, ordered the administration not to process claims, transfer money or operate the fund until legal challenges against it are resolved. She also scheduled a hearing on June 12 to decide whether the freeze should remain in place for a longer period.
News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int... Read More Location: United States of America (USA) First Published: June 02, 2026, 10:44 IST News world Trump To Drop His $1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponisation Fund After Rare Republican Revolt, Judge's Rebuke Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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