Chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram breaks down trouble on Capitol Hill as GOP senators leave town until after an imposed deadline from President Donald Trump to fund ICE. CBP.
PresidentDonald Trumpisn’t backing down from his administration’s latest move that has blown up his agenda in Congress.
Trump on Friday stood by the newly created "anti-weaponization" fund. some Republicans have described as a slush fund launched by the Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier this week. He argued that what could have been a massive payday for himself was converted into "justice" for others.
"I gave up a lot of money in allowing the just announcedAnti-Weaponization Fund to go forward,"Trump said on Truth Social. "I could have settled my case, including the illegal release of my Tax Returns. the equally illegal BREAK IN of Mar-a-Lago, for an absolute fortune."
SENATE GOP ERUPTS OVER TRUMP DOJ 'ANTI-WEAPONIZATION' FUND, PUNTS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING
President Donald Trump attends an event in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. D.C., on May 21, 2026.(Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
"Instead, I am helping others who were so badly abused by an evil, corrupt,. weaponized Biden Administration, receive, at long last, JUSTICE! President DJT," he continued.
The fund stemmed from an agreement among Trump, his family. the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to settle his $10 billion lawsuit against the government over the leak of theirtax returns.
The nearly $1.8 billion fund would "provide a systematic process to hear. redress claims of others who suffered weaponization and lawfare," according to the DOJ.
But its creation foiled his agenda in Congress to fund Immigration. Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol throughout his term. Republicans contended that the timing could have waited.
REPUBLICANS RECOIL AS TRUMP'S BILLION-DOLLAR DOJ 'SLUSH FUND' FOR ALLIES THREATENS ICE, BORDER PATROL PLAN
"Well, it would have been nice if they had consulted,. I think they probably would have gotten plenty of advice from lots of folks about it, but it's water under the bridge now," Senate Majority LeaderJohn Thune,R-S.D., said.
"And you play the hand you’re dealt,. we'll sort it out from here, but obviously it became a more complicated and bumpy path than we hoped," he continued.
That’s. the majority of Senate Republicans on Thursday took issue with a lack of clear guardrails on whether those convicted of assaulting police officers during the riots on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021, could make a claim and get a taxpayer-funded payout.
The announcement of the settlement. subsequent creation of the fund earlier this week derailed what was meant to be the last sprint to pass the massive, $72 billion package. The goal was to have the legislation on Trump’s desk by June 1.
SENATE REPUBLICAN THREATENS TO DERAIL ICE, BORDER PATROL PACKAGE OVER TRUMP'S BILLION-DOLLAR REQUEST
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., leaves the Republican Senate luncheon in the U.S. Capitol on March 3. 2026, arguing that Democrats were pushing to keep DHS closed because it was "politically advantageous."(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)
But Republicans. facing severe political headwinds, weren’t satisfied with the explanations of how the fund would work andwhat guardrails could be installed.
And despite the administration’s argument that the fund has nothing to do with the reconciliation process, it is inextricably tied to the maneuver because the Senate Judiciary Committee oversees the DOJ. has played a major role in crafting the broader package.
The Senate doesn’t return until Trump’s deadline,. the likelihood that lawmakers solve the issue and finish their work is low.
Meanwhile,Senate Democratscheered the result.
Senate Minority LeaderChuck Schumer,D-N.Y., accused Republicans of "fleeing" from Washington, D.C., on Thursday,. charged that "they’re at each other’s throats."
"Trapped in a corner by their own president, Republicans have their backs to the wall with no way out. Nowhere to hide. No end in sight," Schumer said. "The only way for Republicans to get out of this box is to stop backing the slush fund. Stop pushing the ballroom."
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
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