Resistance is growing against President Donald Trump’s controversial new $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” a program critics say could compensate some January 6 Capitol riot defendants — including individuals convicted of assaulting police officers.
Recasting the January 6 insurrection as the work of heroic patriots remains the president’s highest priority.
Two officers who defended the Capitol during the 2021 attack, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges, filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday seeking to block the fund, calling it a “taxpayer-funded slush fund” for extremists and Trump loyalists.
The fund was created as part of a settlement tied to Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS and will reportedly be overseen by a commission appointed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. During congressional testimony this week, Blanche declined to rule out payouts to January 6 rioters, including those convicted of attacking law enforcement officers.
Dunn and Hodges — both of whom became nationally known for their accounts of the violence at the Capitol — argue the program effectively rewards people involved in the assault that injured more than 170 officers. The lawsuit claims the payouts would legitimize political violence while increasing threats against police who defended Congress that day.
The proposal has also sparked criticism from ethics watchdogs and some lawmakers, who question whether taxpayer money should be used to compensate Trump allies and January 6 defendants. Hundreds of pardoned rioters are reportedly already preparing claims.