Trump halts $1.8bn ‘anti-weaponisation’ fund amid bipartisan backlash

United States President Donald Trump will reportedly drop his $1.8bn “anti-weaponisation” fund amid congressional backlash, including from fellow Republicans.

On Monday, US media indicated the fund would be paused, though the White House has yet to publicly confirm the reports.

Axios was the first to break the news, citing an unnamed senior official. “It’s dead for now,” the official told the news outlet.

The “anti-weaponisation” fund was announced last month as part of a settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), part of his executive branch.

According to documents released by the Department of Justice, the $1.8bn was slated to serve as payment for victims of “lawfare” and government “weaponisation”.

Trump himself has repeatedly painted himself as such a victim, framing himself and his allies as victims of unfair government prosecution.

Monday’s announcement came after Trump met with House Speaker Mike Johnson over Republican concerns about the “anti-weaponisation” fund.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has likewise called for the fund to be dropped, as he seeks to rally Republicans to pass a $72bn immigration enforcement funding bill.