Trump defends DOJ fund after Senate Republicans push back

Key points

• US President Donald Trump speaks during an announcement in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Friday defended the controversial new Department of Justice "Anti-Weaponization Fund," saying, "I gave up a lot of money" in allowing it to be created.
• Trump's comments on social media came a day after the fund received strong pushback from Senate Republicans, and some lawmakers legislation that would ban taxpayer money from being used for the $1.8 billion payout pool.
• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who is Trump's former criminal defense lawyer, said early this week he was creating the "lawfare fund" as part of a settlement of Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
• Trump got no money in that settlement.
• But the fund is intended to compensate many of his supporters...