Sen. Ted Cruz, R‑Texas, said a closed‑door meeting between Senate Republicans and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche erupted into shouting and accusations over the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion “anti‑weaponization” fund. Speaking on his podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz, he described the session as “one of the roughest meetings I’ve seen” and said roughly half the senators in the room were blasting Blanche.
Cruz said lawmakers were angered that the fund appeared to be the product of a deal struck by President Donald Trump with himself, with several Republicans accusing the administration of self‑dealing. “There were multiple senators yelling at the attorney general, saying this feels like self‑dealing,” Cruz said, adding that people in the meeting were “pissed.” He also maintained that Blanche tried to explain the legal basis for the program and that the Justice Department’s legal rationale was “quite sound.” The department did not immediately comment on Cruz’s account.
The meeting came as disagreement over the fund helped derail a planned vote on a Republican bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. Cruz told listeners that, had the votes proceeded Thursday night, roughly half the Republican caucus would have sided with Democrats on amendments intended to rein in the fund. He warned that unless the administration modifies the plan before the Senate reconvenes, “they’ve got a full‑on revolt in the Senate.”
The $1.8 billion fund was announced after Trump said he would drop a separate $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and other claims tied to a Mar‑a‑Lago search and alleged wrongdoing connected to 2016. Justice Department officials said the fund came “in exchange” for Trump abandoning those suits and that it would establish “a systematic process to hear and redress claims of others who suffered weaponization and lawfare.”
The White House told NBC News that it appreciated the conversation with senators and welcomed further discussions. The Senate is scheduled to return June 1, the date Trump said he intended to sign the ICE and Border Patrol funding bill.
Concern about the fund has grown across the political spectrum. Several Republicans expressed alarm: Sen. Thom Tillis, R‑N.C., called it a “payout pot for punks,” noting reports the administration has not ruled out compensating some people convicted in the Jan. 6 riot. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R‑La., said the administration “is putting itself in a bad spot” and that Congress had no input.
Democrats have broadly condemned the plan. Sen. Dick Durbin, D‑Ill., wrote to Blanche that the idea of federal compensation for rioters is “absurd and offensive.” In the House, Reps. Tom Suozzi, D‑N.Y., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R‑Pa., introduced bipartisan legislation to bar federal money from being used by the anti‑weaponization fund. Fitzpatrick also sent a letter to Blanche demanding details about the fund’s legal authority and who would be eligible for compensation.