Trump and Johnson review anti-weaponization fund after judicial halt

WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the bipartisan backlash from lawmakers over the fund, President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly met on Monday, June 1, to discuss the controversial $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund.

The meeting comes after the federal court on Friday, May 29, temporarily suspended the fund's formation amid legal challenges.

The Trump administration has recently proposed an anti-weaponization fund in exchange for the settlement of the president's $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the leak of his tax returns.

The program is designed to compensate Americans who the Justice Department determines were victims of political "lawfare" and government abuse under previous administrations.

Potential beneficiaries of the fund could include those implicated in the January 6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol and other Trump allies who appear to be already applying.

Johnson was supposed to meet President Trump last month, but the meeting was cancelled after the Senate left Washington without passing a reconciliation bill.

Senate Republicans grill AG Blanche over fund

Last week, Senate Republicans reportedly warned Todd Blanche that a budget reconciliation bill to fund immigration enforcement would not move until their concerns over the fund are resolved.

The 55-year-old Texas Senator, on his podcast Verdict with Ted Cruz, revealed that Todd Blanche faced screaming, yelling, and accusations of self-dealing during a closed-door briefing on the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund.

Cruz described the meeting as “one of the roughest meetings I’ve seen in my entire time in the Senate.”

"There were fireworks at an epic level," Cruz said Friday on his podcast. "Fiery does not begin to cut it."

According to NBC News, Senate Republicans met with Todd Blanche on Thursday to discuss the controversial fund.

The contentious meeting ultimately helped sink a Republican-backed measure that sought to increase funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.

Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema issued a temporary order blocking officials from distributing funds or continuing development of the proposed compensation system while the legal challenge proceeds.

The lawsuit was brought by the advocacy organization Democracy Forward, which accused the administration of attempting to build what it described as a politically driven compensation mechanism funded by taxpayers.

However, the administration in a talking point handed out to Republicans clarified that participation in the fund is voluntary and not limited by party affiliation, stating that Democrats would also be allowed to submit claims.