A federal judge just halted one of Donald Trump’s most outrageous schemes yet: a $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded “Anti-Weaponization Fund” designed to reward his political allies — including Jan. 6 rioters.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema halted the program before the Trump administration could begin handing out money, blocking officials from taking any further steps to operate the fund until the court hears arguments next week.
That means no payouts. No transfers. No processing claims. For now, Trump’s slush fund is frozen.
The lawsuit was brought by a coalition that includes Andrew Floyd, a former federal prosecutor who says he was fired because of his work on Jan. 6-related cases.
And the plaintiffs did not mince words.
In court filings, they argued the so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is openly political and designed to reward people who claim they were targeted by Democratic administrations — even as Trump’s own administration aggressively weaponizes federal power against critics and perceived enemies.
The fund itself was announced last week as part of an astonishing “settlement” in a lawsuit Trump filed against his own administration.
The arrangement immediately triggered bipartisan outrage after administration officials confirmed that Jan. 6 defendants and rioters could potentially receive payments from the fund.
In other words, people who stormed the Capitol, assaulted police officers, and tried to overturn a presidential election could end up getting taxpayer-funded compensation courtesy of Donald Trump.
Critics have blasted the scheme as corruption hiding in plain sight.
The judge’s order now temporarily shuts the whole thing down while the legal battle moves forward.
Judge Brinkema specifically barred the administration from “taking any further action” related to the creation or operation of the fund, including moving money or approving claims.
That’s a significant blow to Trump’s effort to institutionalize his grievance politics using federal dollars.
And politically, the optics are brutal.
At a time when Republicans are already struggling with growing voter backlash over the economy, inflation, and Trump’s increasingly extreme agenda, the administration now finds itself defending a billion-dollar program that appears designed to reward loyalists and Jan. 6 participants.
The case is still developing.
But for now, Trump’s attempt to turn taxpayer money into a reward system for allies and insurrectionists has hit a wall in federal court.
