Pence Urges Trump Administration To Drop $1.8 Billion 'Anti-Weaponization' Fund
Mike Pence called the $1.8 billion fund "deeply offensive" and urged the administration to abandon plans to compensate Jan. 6 defendants, as the fund faces legal and political challenges.
BBC NewsPence calls Trump's 'anti-weaponisation' fund 'deeply offensive' and says it should be dropped
Raw StoryMAGA melts down after Mike Pence breaks with Trump over his 'slush fund': 'Go to hell'
CBS NewsMike Pence says he hopes Trump administration will drop weaponization fund
Salon"Totally unacceptable": Pence calls slush fund for Jan. 6 rioters "deeply offensive"
Overview
Former Vice President Mike Pence said he hopes the Trump administration will drop its nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, calling it "deeply offensive."
The fund was established as part of a settlement of President Trump's lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax records and aims to pay people alleging the legal system was "weaponized" against them.
Pence's comments came amid Republican divisions and criticism from senators including Mitch McConnell and Thom Tillis, and provoked backlash from some Trump supporters on social media.
The Justice Department tied the fund to a $1.776 billion figure in some accounts, the DOJ temporarily had work on the fund blocked by a federal judge, and roughly 1,600 people were charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riot according to DOJ figures.
A federal hearing is scheduled for June 12 on the temporary block, and lawmakers have pressed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for details on eligibility and potential guardrails.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this coverage by foregrounding Pence’s condemnation and framing the fund against the January 6 violence: they use evaluative descriptors (e.g., 'rushed into hiding', 'rioters ransacked', 'falsely calling'), foreground critical Republican voices, and prioritize context about injuries and prosecutions while giving limited space to supportive perspectives.