Senate Majority Leader John Thune is walking a tightrope as President Donald Trump’s controversial “Anti-Weaponization Fund” runs into legal snags and growing exasperation among the GOP.
The pause came after the surprising court verdict on Friday, which revived Trump’s case against the IRS over the disclosure of his tax returns.
But Thune made it obvious that Republicans aren’t ready to move on.
The way the statement is worded, I think it’s clear that they’re not proceeding with the fund, but obviously, whether that’s sufficient to satisfy a number of our members is something we’re still sorting through,” Thune said
Then came the line that raised eyebrows.
Asked whether he was concerned Trump could veto the broader funding bill if lawmakers moved to ban the fund outright, Thune answered with a blunt four-word response.
Oh yeah, don’t you?” Thune snidely said
The comment soon drew charges that Thune was ridiculing Trump at a sensitive moment for Republicans.
This also comes as Republicans are seeking to keep their conference unified while negotiating with Democrats on a large $70 billion package to fund immigration enforcement.
The challenge for GOP leaders is simple
Democrats could try to force votes on amendments to restrict the fund, putting Republicans in the awkward position of siding with Trump or getting pulled into a messy political dispute ahead of the midterms.
Even some of Trump’s most devoted Senate friends are not content with the administration’s present approach.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said Trump needs to be much more straightforward.
It’s pretty clear that the President has to say very explicitly that there’s not going to be a weaponization fund,” Grassley said
Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy, another staunch Trump ally, was even more direct when describing the overall funding fight.
“The reconciliation bill looks like a broken arm with the bones sticking out,” Kennedy declared.
Kennedy also rejected the notion that the Justice Department’s promise to obey the court order should end the dispute
“Saying you’re going to follow a court order doesn’t tell me anything. You have to follow the court order,” Kennedy added.
U. S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema last week prevented the government from taking any actions to form or implement the fund before a June 12 hearing.
The Justice Department responded in a statement on X, saying it “disagrees strongly” with Brinkema’s decision but “will abide by the court’s ruling.”
The department said the fund was “established in order to make up for the tremendous abuse, harm, and hate unfairly shown to so many people,” and said it is “open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise. ”
Reports say the Trump administration now plans to drop the fund, with one source saying: “It’s dead for now. ”
But killing the fund may not remove what critics say was the most lucrative element for Trump in the agreement
The settlement reportedly granted Trump, his sons, and his businesses immunity from future IRS examinations. It is unclear whether eliminating the fund would also eliminate that protection.
The White House declined to comment, referring questions to the Justice Department.
The $1.776 billion fund was created under a settlement from Trump’s civil case against the IRS after a former government contractor disclosed his tax returns
The administration has said the money was intended to compensate those damaged by government “weaponization” and “lawfare,” terms Trump has frequently used to describe what he contends was the political targeting of conservatives and his friends.
But critics say the fund has no clear legal basis, no monitoring, and may be used to reward Trump followers, even individuals convicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U. S.
Capitol.
