Justice Department Drops $1.8 Billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' After Court Block and GOP Backlash

The Justice Department is backing away from a proposed $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” after a federal judge temporarily blocked it and Republicans in Congress revolted over the plan, according to reports from The Independent and Politico. The move came as President Donald Trump met with House Speaker Mike Johnson at the White House, underscoring how the issue had become a political headache for the administration.

According to Politico, Johnson was at the White House on Tuesday morning for an unscheduled meeting with Trump, and the two were expected to discuss the Justice Department fund, which had become a flashpoint for Republicans on Capitol Hill. The fund had drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who accused the administration of trying to create a taxpayer-financed payout mechanism, and from Republicans including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who were also openly opposed, as reported by The Independent.

The proposal had been described by critics as a “slush fund” because it would have allowed money to be paid out to people who claimed mistreatment by the federal government. The backlash was not limited to politics: a judge’s temporary ruling blocked the plan, creating a legal obstacle that the Justice Department said it would follow. A CBS News report cited in the available material said the administration moved to stop work on the fund after Trump’s meeting with Johnson and after the court order.

The episode highlights the continuing fight inside the Republican Party over how aggressively Trump can use the machinery of government to reward allies and pursue claims of political retaliation. As reported by The Independent, the issue created major roadblocks in both Congress and the courts, with Republicans facing the prospect of uncomfortable votes if the matter came to the floor.

What happens next is still unfolding, but the immediate consequence is that the Justice Department is no longer pushing ahead with the fund while the court order remains in place. The political damage, however, may linger, especially for GOP lawmakers who had to choose between backing Trump and siding with critics who argued the plan was legally dubious and politically toxic.