Trump pledges to pursue ‘anti-weaponisation’ fund amid Blanche standoff

What the report says

US President Donald Trump said he would keep pushing an “anti-weaponisation” fund if his pick for attorney general, Todd Blanche, is not approved by the Senate. Al Jazeera reported on August 1, 2026, that Trump made the remarks on Truth Social as Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis continued to withhold support for Blanche’s confirmation.

The fund is at the center of a dispute over a settlement tied to Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. According to the report, the arrangement would allocate about $1.776bn to people who say they were politically targeted under former President Joe Biden. Blanche, who is serving as acting attorney general and previously worked as Trump’s criminal defence lawyer, has said the fund is finished, but the two senators have argued that they have not seen enough assurance it cannot be revived.

Trump sharpened the standoff by saying he would seek to revive the proposal, or keep Blanche in place without a full Senate confirmation. Al Jazeera said critics from both parties view the fund as politically dangerous, with some fearing it could be used to benefit Trump allies, including people involved in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack.

The article also noted that a federal judge recently ruled the IRS settlement unlawful and raised concerns about Blanche’s role in it. The dispute matters because it could affect both the leadership of the Justice Department and Trump’s broader efforts to reshape federal law enforcement priorities.