Axios reported, citing two senior administration officials, that the Trump administration is expected to cancel its plan to create a "$1.776 billion 'anti-weaponization fund'" amid bipartisan backlash.

The Justice Department announced the fund as part of a settlement with President Donald Trump, who had sued the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in connection with the leak of his tax returns by a contract employee, Charles Littlejohn, who pleaded guilty.

Initially, Trump's side had sought $10 billion in damages but agreed to the settlement on the condition that a $1.7 billion anti-weaponization fund be established.

Originally intended to support victims of political weaponization by the Biden administration's Justice Department, the fund drew backlash from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers who worried it could be used to enrich Trump's allies.

Victims, known as "J6ers," were labeled rebels or rioters and imprisoned after the January 6, 2021, Capitol events were framed politically as an insurrection. They were later released through commutations and pardons when President Trump returned to power.

Among them, the leadership of the "Proud Boys" filed a $100 million lawsuit against the federal government in June 2025, and in March 2026, dozens of participants filed a class-action lawsuit in a Florida federal court seeking millions of dollars from the federal government.

However, the anti-weaponization fund faced criticism for "glorifying rioters as heroes and compensating them with taxpayer money."

In late May 2026, a federal judge temporarily froze the fund's creation, and Democrats pushed for legislation to nullify it.

Some Republican lawmakers are demanding additional oversight measures or safeguards to ensure that funds are allocated appropriately and transparently.

President Trump defended it as a long-overdue effort to help Americans whose lives have been ruined by government weaponization, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) denounced the fund as a "MAGA slush fund."

Senate Republicans postponed a scheduled vote last month on a reconciliation bill that would fund the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amid concerns about the fund.

Many of these lawmakers were already incensed by former President Trump's alleged interference in Senate primary elections, which led to the defeat of Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA).

House Speaker Mike Johnson also met with former President Trump on Monday to discuss lawmakers' concerns about the fund.

The federal Congress is expected to engage in heated debate this week over immigration funding, government oversight, and allegations of political targeting during the Biden administration.

By Sung Ku Hong, Chief Reporter, NNP USA / Special Dispatch NNP info@newsandpost.com