Trump defends ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ amid GOP blowup

President Donald Trump defended the $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” on Friday as it faces fierce bipartisan opposition on Capitol Hill, doubling down on his settlement with his own Justice Department.

“I gave up a lot of money in allowing the just announced Anti-Weaponization Fund to go forward. I could have settled my case, including the illegal release of my Tax Returns and the equally illegal BREAK IN of Mar-a-Lago, for an absolute fortune,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Instead, I am helping others, who were so badly abused by an evil, corrupt, and weaponized Biden Administration, receive, at long last, JUSTICE!”

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the fund Monday, saying it was intended to provide "a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress."

But the fund’s announcement without any consultation with Congress — along with his refusal to rule out payouts to people convicted of crimes in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot — prompted widespread condemnation from Democrats and even some backlash from some already skeptical GOP lawmakers.

Opposition from Republican senators sank leaders’ hopes of passing a party-line reconciliation package out of Capitol Hill this week. The fund — partnered with Trump’s push to have a billion dollar ballroom security line item — derailed planned votes, sending lawmakers home for the Memorial Day weekend.

And in a bipartisan effort, Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) drafted legislation to stop the fund altogether.

Fitzpatrick said in an interview with POLITICO on Wednesday he’s waiting to hear back from the Justice Department regarding a list of questions he sent Blanche seeking more information about who will be able to access the fund.

The fund, to be overseen by a five-person commission appointed by the attorney general, will process claims through mid-December 2028 — about a month before Trump’s term is set to end.

Earlier this week, police officers who came under attack by rioters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the fund, which was created pursuant to a settlement between Trump and the IRS.