Todd Blanche formally withdraws Trump's 'anti-weaponisation' fund plan

What the report says

Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche has formally dropped Donald Trump’s proposed “anti-weaponisation” fund, according to BBC World News. The plan had raised concerns among Senate Republicans and Democrats because it could have provided compensation to people prosecuted after the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot, while also affecting IRS oversight tied to Trump’s tax matters.

The BBC reports that Blanche signed a written order saying there is “no Fund,” after meeting senators and committee members over recent weeks. He also said he had clarified the language around IRS audit protections for Trump, his family and their businesses. The move appears aimed at removing the final obstacle to his confirmation as attorney general on a permanent basis.

Two Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, had reportedly withheld support unless they received written assurances that the fund would not be revived and that the tax-audit language would be narrowed. Their opposition had left Trump short of the votes needed for Blanche’s confirmation. A spokesperson for Cornyn said he had reached an agreement with the Justice Department, while Tillis had previously criticized the idea of a “payout” fund.

The article adds that a federal judge had already blocked the fund and raised ethical concerns. More broadly, the episode highlights tensions inside Trump’s party over his personnel picks and his effort to revisit disputes linked to the Capitol attack and his tax records.