Trump's $1.8 billion 'weaponization' fund is not moving forward, acting AG Blanche says

"Period." The ‌Justice Department's agreement with President Donald Trump to bar future audits into his or his ‌family's past tax records will remain in place, Blanche told lawmakers. The fund was dropped as furious senators faced an impasse with Trump over a $72 billion bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol operations.

The ‌Trump administration is abandoning the president's nearly $1.8 billion "weaponization" fund, U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on Tuesday, after an intense and rare backlash from Republican senators.

"We are not moving forward with the fund," Blanche said. "Period." The ‌Justice Department's agreement with President Donald Trump to bar future audits into his or his ‌family's past tax records will remain in place, Blanche told lawmakers.

The fund was dropped as furious senators faced an impasse with Trump over a $72 billion bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol operations. Congressional leaders had questioned whether they could pass the ⁠bill ​if the fund was ⁠not killed, and a person familiar with the White House's thinking said Blanche's future hinged on his ability to address those ⁠concerns.

The fund emerged from a legal settlement between Trump and the Justice Department to resolve an unprecedented $10 billion lawsuit ​against the IRS over the alleged mishandling of his tax records. The $1.776 billion fund was meant ⁠to pay people who said they had been the subject of government abuse, and Blanche angered senators last month when he ⁠would ​not commit to barring people who assaulted police officers during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot from receiving funds.

White House officials spent much of Monday calling lawmakers to assure them there'd be ⁠no payouts after the Republican revolt, said two sources familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of ⁠anonymity. That assurance had ⁠done little to quiet Republican demands ahead of Blanche's House subcommittee hearing Tuesday afternoon, where lawmakers pressed for a definitive promise that the fund is dead.