Sen. Thom Tillis unloaded on the Trump administration’s controversial DOJ “anti-weaponization” fund this week, calling the proposal “stupid on stilts” during a tense closed-door Senate GOP meeting that exposed growing friction inside the Republican conference.
The North Carolina Republican sharply questioned Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche over the structure of the roughly $1.776 billion fund, which stems from a settlement tied to President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns.
The Trump administration has argued the fund is designed to compensate Americans who were unfairly targeted by politically motivated investigations and abuses of federal power during prior administrations.
But Tillis and several Senate Republicans reportedly warned the proposal could become politically messy if the DOJ fails to establish clear standards for who qualifies for compensation.
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According to multiple reports, the dispute became heated enough that Senate GOP leadership postponed votes tied to a broader immigration and border enforcement package before lawmakers departed Washington for the Memorial Day recess.
Tillis, who has occasionally clashed with Trump despite backing much of his agenda, reportedly pressed Blanche on whether the administration had fully thought through the political and legal consequences of the program.
The debate highlighted broader divisions inside the GOP over how aggressively Republicans should pursue what Trump and his allies describe as government “weaponization” against conservatives.
Trump has continued championing the effort publicly, arguing conservatives were unfairly targeted for years by federal agencies, prosecutors and intelligence officials.
The administration has not yet released finalized eligibility rules or a formal claims process for the fund, leaving many details unresolved as Senate Republicans debate next steps.
The clash also comes as Trump continues tightening his grip on the Republican Party ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with GOP lawmakers increasingly pressured to align with the president’s agenda on both immigration and Justice Department reforms.
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