Collins says Trump fund faces temporary halt, labels challenge ‘remarkable’
WASHINGTON, DC: A day after the Trump administration reportedly decided to eliminate the controversial anti-weaponization fund due to ongoing backlash, long-time Trump critic and senior White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins emphasized the “remarkable” revolt against the president’s “iron grip” over the GOP.
Collins' remarks came as the $1.776 billion fund has been “stopped in its tracks” amid court cases and GOP pushback.
During her appearance on an episode of CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, released on Monday, June 1, Collins noted the rare moment of opposition to Trump and discussed the confusing status of the Anti-Weaponization fund.
Collins says the fund may only be paused
Collins doubted reports of Trump dropping the controversial fund, arguing that the administration might only be pausing the fund until political pushback dies down.
“Now, President Trump, as I noted, has yet to confirm that they are definitely scrapping the fund,” Collins added, affirming that the plan to compensate people who were wrongly targeted by the Biden administration remains stalled.
"It’s possible that the administration is merely pausing plans until the political pushback dies down.”
As Collins continued, she highlighted that the continued GOP pushback despite Trump’s strong grip over the party was rare and remarkable.
“For a president who has such an iron grip on his party as Donald Trump, what we are watching happening, right now in Washington is pretty remarkable."
“The pushback from Senate Republicans has been so intense and, for the White House, so unexpected, that it’s a rare moment of the administration considering backing down from its position,” Collins said.
Trump, Johnson weigh fund backlash
The Department of Justice, in a statement after the court ordered the temporary suspension of the plan, said that while it does not agree with the court’s observation, the department will abide by the verdict.
Pointing to the meeting between the speaker, Mike Johnson, and President Donald Trump in the White House on Monday, Collins speculated Johnson would have warned Trump, not about the court’s ruling on the fund but about Congress.
According to Collins, Johnson warned that the controversial program could jeopardize what may be one of Trump's final major legislative victories before the November midterm elections.
She noted that the package includes tens of billions of dollars for immigration enforcement through the remainder of Trump's term, making it a priority for the administration.
