Blanche rescinds Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization’ fund, removing hurdle from attorney general nominee’s confirmation

By Isabelle D’Antonio, Morgan Rimmer, Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN

(CNN) — Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Todd Blanche, said late Sunday he is formally rescinding the president’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, after Senate Republicans threatened to block his nomination over the controversial agreement.

“My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions,” Blanche posted on X. “We have enjoyed good faith discussions, and as a result issue the following order and update with regard to the May IRS settlement.”

Blanche, who is serving as acting chief of the Justice Department, attached an order dated Sunday to his post that said, “The Attorney General’s May 18, 2026 Order establishing the Anti-Weaponization Fund (‘Fund’) is rescinded and shall have nor force or effect.”

The controversial fund — created as part of an agreement to settle a lawsuit from Trump against the IRS — was at the center of resistance to Blanche’s nomination from Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Blanche had already said the fund was “dead,” and the Justice Department told courts the program was abandoned, but officials have previously declined to put the commitment in writing. The fund would have offered taxpayer money to people who claimed they were victims of weaponization by the federal government — including those involved with the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot.

The document released Sunday also limits the addendum to that agreement that offers the president and members of his family immunity from tax investigations — a sticking point for Cornyn. The senator wanted Blanche to explicitly acknowledge that it applies only to past tax investigations against the president and those listed in the IRS lawsuit.

The Sunday order says the measure “applies by its terms only retroactively” and that it applies only to “the named parties in the lawsuit” referenced in the agreement.

A spokesperson for Cornyn said Sunday night that the Texas Republican reached an agreement with the Justice Department. CNN has reached out to Tillis’ office for comment.

Blanche’s announcement comes after a week of uncertainty over his confirmation to the attorney general role. Trump on Thursday threatened to temporarily pull the nomination amid the resistance from Tillis and Cornyn, and renominate Blanche after they leave the Senate next year. The senators met privately with Blanche Thursday afternoon, and three sources familiar with the matter previously told CNN they made progress, though they did not reach a deal.

The president said Cornyn and Tillis were “both upset because I wouldn’t endorse them.” Cornyn lost his primary this spring to Trump-backed firebrand Ken Paxton. Tillis, a frequent Trump critic, decided last year not to run for reelection.

The demands left Blanche in a difficult place, since putting limits on the tax addendum could anger the president.

Trump then said Saturday he would push to get the “anti-weaponization” passed into law if he couldn’t garner the support in the Senate to confirm Blanche, his former personal lawyer. Tillis responded to that threat by saying Blanche, “who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal.”

Even just hours before Blanche’s Sunday announcement, Trump defended the controversial “anti-weaponization” fund and reiterated that if the Senate doesn’t confirm Blanche, he will put the idea “back on the table.”

“A lot of people like it. … If they don’t approve Todd, I put it back on the table,” he told reporters on Air Force One.

Trump said the fund “would be a reimbursement for the pain” his supporters and allies who would be eligible for the fund “suffered.”

CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on Blanche’s order.

This story has been updated with additional information.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.