Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is vigorously defending the Trump administration's newly established 'Anti-Weaponization' fund, asserting that American taxpayers support using their money to compensate victims of government overreach. The Justice Department unveiled the fund on Monday as part of a settlement in President Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.
Fund Details and Purpose
The fund will receive $1.776 billion in taxpayer money, intended to pay out 'victims of lawfare and weaponization,' according to a Justice Department press release. Appearing on CNN's 'The Source With Kaitlan Collins' on Wednesday, Blanche argued that most Americans would not oppose the fund's mission.
'If you said to the American taxpayer that there is a horrible wrong committed by your government, and now you can apply, and you can have your lawyers' fees back, you can be compensated for what you lost financially ... what American would say, 'Oh my gosh, that's terrible'?' Blanche said. He added, 'I do not think the American people have issues with that. To the contrary, I think they do want their tax dollars spent on things like that.'
Criticism and Legal Challenges
Blanche did not address widespread criticism from Democrats, who have labeled the fund a 'slush fund' and a 'personal rewards program' for funneling cash to Trump allies. On Wednesday, the fund became the subject of a lawsuit filed by two police officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Many of the since-pardoned, pro-Trump rioters are expected to seek compensation from the fund.
When asked whether individuals convicted of attacking law enforcement officers should be barred from accessing the fund, Blanche dismissed the concern. 'To be clear, people that hurt police get money all the time,' he said. 'It's abhorrent to ever, ever touch a law enforcement officer, which is why anytime anybody does that and it's a federal officer, we'll prosecute them. But that's a completely different question, with whether an individual is allowed to apply for a claim.'
Republican Unease
While most criticism has come from Democrats, a few Republicans have expressed discomfort. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told the BBC he was 'not a big fan' of the fund and was 'not sure exactly how they intend to use it.' He added, 'My assumption is that, based on some of the blowback that's come since this was announced, that there would be a significant amount of attention paid to it.'
