Trump administration drops $1.8 billion ‘weaponization’ fund after Republican backlash

June 3, 2026 9:35 AM

Trump administration drops $1.8 billion ‘weaponization’ fund after Republican backlash

The Trump administration is abandoning the president's $1.8 billion "weaponization" fund, U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on Tuesday, after a rare backlash from Republican senators. "We are not moving forward with the fund," Blanche said. "Period." But Blanche also told lawmakers that an agreement with Trump to bar future audits of his or his family's past tax records will remain in place. The fund emerged from a legal settlement between President Donald Trump and the...

Trump drops IRS lawsuit in exchange for DOJ $1.8 billion ‘weaponization’ fund

May 19, 2026 9:13 AM

Trump drops IRS lawsuit in exchange for DOJ $1.8 billion ‘weaponization’ fund

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Monday created a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of political "weaponization" to settle a lawsuit Trump had filed against his own government over the alleged mishandling of his tax records. The agreement resolves an unprecedented lawsuit filed by Trump, in which he sought $10 billion from the Internal Revenue Service, arguing it should have done more to prevent a former contractor from leaking his tax returns to the media. Trump wi...