Trump DOJ Halts $1.776 Billion Anti-Weaponization Fund

Days after a federal judge temporarily stopped Trump’s $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” the Department of Justice agreed to comply, saying it strongly disagrees but will abide by the ruling. The pause lasts at least two weeks as Senate Republicans pus

When a judge put the brakes on President Donald Trump’s $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” the fight moved almost instantly from the courtroom to the political clock. The Justice Department now says it will comply with the ruling—even as it insists it strongly disagrees with the decision.

In a statement. the Department of Justice said it “disagrees strongly with the decision” issued by a United States District Court Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia. but “will abide by the Court’s ruling.” The White House has not said whether it will try to alter the fund or scrap it altogether.

The fund has been framed as a way to compensate Trump allies that Trump believes were harmed by past administrations—especially former President Joe Biden. Set up as a “slush fund” to send taxpayer money, it was paused for at least two weeks following the court’s temporary halt.

That pause comes after Senate Republicans objected to the program. including concerns that potential payouts could extend to people involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Republicans’ resistance did not stay confined to private outrage. Amid bipartisan pushback, they delayed a vote on a GOP package to fund ICE and the Border Patrol until June. They also threatened to work with Democrats to block the fund.

The backlash appears to have cut deep inside the Senate. Last month, senators reportedly railed against acting Attorney General Todd Blanche over the fund during a closed-door meeting. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas described it as one of “the roughest meetings I’ve seen in my entire time in the Senate.”

“Fiery does not begin to cut it,” Cruz said. “My guess is there’re probably 45 senators in the room, at least half of them were blasting the attorney general, and they were pissed.”

The fund’s legal troubles intensified the sense of urgency. The temporary court ruling came after a former Justice Department prosecutor and other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit arguing the fund was illegal and unconstitutional. The suit claims, “Instead, the Fund rewards and incentivizes unlawful behavior and facilitates an astounding abuse of taxpayer funds.”.

That court challenge also landed in the middle of other high-stakes moves from the White House involving tax cases. Last month. hours before the fund’s announcement. Trump withdrew a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the 2019 leak of his tax filings. The week prior. ABC News and CNN reported on internal White House discussions about Trump’s desire to drop the lawsuit in exchange for the massive fund. According to CNN. the settlement would also kill any existing IRS audits on Trump. members of his family. or associated businesses.

With the judge’s order now forcing the Justice Department to pause—at least for the next two weeks—the immediate question is no longer whether the administration can press ahead on its own terms, but whether it will keep the fund intact or adjust it to survive political and legal pressure.

Trump Department of Justice Anti-Weaponization Fund Eastern District of Virginia Todd Blanche Ted Cruz ICE Border Patrol Jan. 6 IRS lawsuit tax filings leak