Trump’s Desire To Restart ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ Imperils Immigration Enforcement Funding Bill

President Trump’s desire to pay individuals with money from an “anti-weaponization fund” is likely to cause new headaches for Speaker Mike Johnson this week as he tries to pass a party-line immigration enforcement spending bill that the president may wish to use as a vehicle to revive the highly unpopular fund.During a combative interview with NBC News, which concluded with Mr. Trump storming off, the president said in his ideal world, he wants to see the money paid out.The “anti-weaponization fund” was a $1.776 billion pool which was set to be used to pay individuals who were victims of “lawfare” during the Biden administration. Following blowback from Republicans in Congress, the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, said the Department of Justice was dropping the fund and would not move forward with it in the future. That pledge came after a federal court order in Virginia put the anti-weaponization fund on hold. Republicans were somewhat relieved last week when Mr. Blanche announced that the fund would not materialize. Still, some want to attach an amendment to the $70 billion immigration enforcement funding bill due to hit the House floor this week. The bill currently includes nearly $39 billion in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention and removal operations and nearly $23 billion in funding for Customs and Border Protection as well as billions of dollars in border security spending and other miscellaneous Department of Homeland Security projects. The funding will pay for the agencies through the end of 2028.Senator Bill Cassidy had tried to add an amendment blocking the anti-weaponization fund to the Senate version of the bill on Friday, though the legislative language did not comply with Senate rules. Now, Mr. Johnson has to handle his more moderate members who are concerned about the fund and have leverage to make such funds illegal as long as the immigration spending bill is pending before the House. Mr. Trump appears interested in reviving the fund to pay out individuals, including possibly some who rioted at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and whom he said were injured by lawfare during the Biden administration. “Let me explain what the fund is,” Mr. Trump told NBC News’s Kristen Welker, notably using the present tense to describe the fund. “People have been hurt so badly by radical left lunatics that worked for the Biden administration and Sleepy Joe,” Mr. Trump said. “If it was up to me, I would pay them the kind of money that they deserve.”“People have been destroyed. Lives have been destroyed,” he added, urging Republicans to get it “approved.”“Me, personally, I think the weaponization fund is a great idea,” he said. “If they don’t get it approved, I’d be disappointed.”The Justice Department has filed a motion opposing a temporary restraining order that would keep the fund locked, although the department has not moved to dismiss the case. Mr. Blanche asserted that the fund is dead even though the Senate did not agree on language for an amendment to block all weaponization funds.Being questioned about the anti-weaponization fund clearly irritated Mr. Trump. During the conversation, which took place in a barn in Wisconsin, rain poured down, creating a loud noise on the barn’s metal roof that forced the two to speak loudly. As the two raised their voices to be heard, the president then cut off the interview and stormed off the set where Mr. Trump and Ms. Welker were speaking. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen with the weaponization fund. I love the idea because people like you — the fake, dirty press, the crooked press” harmed people, Mr. Trump said to Ms. Welker. From there, he began ranting about the slow vote-counting process in California, accusing both the state of California, Ms. Welker, the media, and “Meet the Press” specifically of being “crooked.”“Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough,” the president said, removing his microphone from his lapel. “Thank you darling. Have a good time.”Mr. Trump’s performance on Sunday is not likely to assuage concerns of several Republicans in Congress who opposed the creation of the “anti-weaponization fund.”One GOP lawmaker, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, has already introduced a bill, alongside a Democratic congressman, Tom Suozzi of New York, to ban the creation of settlement funds. Mr. Fitzpatrick said he needs to make sure the fund cannot be revived before he supports the party-line immigration enforcement funding bill due for a House vote later this week. “The votes are not there, and will not be there, to give a dime to this fund,” Mr. Fitzpatrick said.

Trump’s Desire To Restart ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ Imperils Immigration Enforcement Funding Bill

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