Trump threatens to revive $1.8bn ‘anti-weaponisation’ fund as Senate standoff deepens

BBC:

US President Donald Trump has threatened to revive a controversial fund to compensate his allies amid a standoff with two Republican senators who are holding out on confirming his pick for attorney general.

Todd Blanche, who has been acting in the role since April, needs the support of all Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to get the job permanently.

But Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina – whose terms both expire in January – are withholding theirs over the status of Trump’s $1.8bn (£1.3bn) “anti-weaponisation fund”.

If the two don’t approve Blanche, Trump said on Saturday that “it will immediately be back on the table, and I will get it done”.

Trump claimed in a Truth Social post on Saturday that the two senators are “upset because I wouldn’t endorse them”.

He said if they don’t approve Blanche’s nomination, “then I will keep Todd as Acting A.G., and push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill”.

The proposed fund was announced earlier this year to settle a lawsuit by Trump against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the leak of his tax returns.