The numbers come first: a $1.8 billion fund, two Republican senators, and one confirmation vote that may not survive the week.
President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened via Truth Social to keep acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in his current role and revive the so-called 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' if Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina refuse to confirm Blanche as the next U.S. Attorney General.
The reversal came less than 24 hours after Trump declared the fund 'dead' — a concession that had appeared to unlock progress on the stalled confirmation. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, had rescheduled a committee vote for Blanche to Tuesday, with a spokesperson saying Grassley 'would like to see Blanche confirmed before the August recess.'
By Saturday morning, those plans were in jeopardy.
What the fund actually does
The 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' was established by a lawsuit settlement creating a $1.8 billion pool to compensate people who claim mistreatment by the criminal justice system. The settlement also included provisions granting Trump and members of his family immunity from tax audits — a clause Cornyn said could extend to 'more than 100 different Trump organization subsidiaries into the future.'
Blanche himself testified two months ago that the fund 'would not move forward' after Republican senators revolted and blocked an immigration funding bill over the issue. The Department of Justice subsequently provided senators with language stating that Blanche's May 18 order establishing the fund 'is rescinded and shall have no force or effect,' according to a document reviewed by The Associated Press.
But Trump's Saturday post appeared to put the fund squarely back on the table, writing that he would 'push hard' to restore it if Cornyn and Tillis withheld their votes.
Tillis fires back
Tillis, who is retiring when his term ends in January, did not mince words. In a post on X, the North Carolina senator said Trump 'clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks either by inappropriately establishing another bogus fund or pushing Congress to vote for a bill that the majority of Republicans in the Senate would be against.'
Tillis added: 'It's unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal. Hopefully, we can resolve this by Tuesday.'
Cornyn, who lost reelection after Trump endorsed his primary opponent, said he and Tillis are simply asking the White House to put existing assurances in writing — specifically that the tax-audit immunity is 'retrospective, not prospective' and 'limited to the parties to the litigation.'
What it means
This episode illustrates a tension that free-market conservatives cannot afford to ignore: when executive power is wielded to create compensation funds and grant immunity from audit through settlement rather than statute, it bypasses the legislative process that is supposed to constrain both the administrative state and the executive branch alike. Taxpayer money and rule-of-law credibility are both on the line.
Blanche is widely regarded as a qualified nominee. The confirmation math, however, now hinges not on his record but on whether the White House will put its own assurances in writing — a low bar that, as of Saturday, remained uncleared. Capital rewards clear rules. So does the Senate.
