Federal judge blocks Trump's $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund until further notice

A federal judge has extended her block on President Donald Trump's controversial anti-weaponization fund "until further notice," ruling she was not persuaded by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's public assurances that the administration had scrapped the plan amid bipartisan backlash, Associated Press reported. The block was first issued on May 29, 2026, in a case brought by a group of individuals and organizations who were perceived "by the Trump-Vance administration as ideological or political opponents."

District Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia has given the administration one week to provide a sworn statement that the fund will not proceed, according to Reuters. Brinkema issued a preliminary injunction preventing the federal government from creating the fund while the lawsuit remains active. Government attorneys argued that lawsuits challenging the fund were now moot, but plaintiffs' attorneys remained unconvinced by Blanche's assurances, as per the Associated Press.

Complicating matters further, Trump publicly championed the fund in front of the press even after Blanche announced it would not go forward. Brinkema cited Trump's comments as evidence that the administration may still be seeking to revive the plan in some form. She also questioned the administration's decision to set aside taxpayer money to benefit a small group of people that many Americans believe engaged in improper conduct. Brinkema indicated the case would likely be dismissed if the declaration is submitted to the court.

The ruling is a considerable setback for the Trump administration, suggesting that the court remains skeptical of the government's assurances, keeping a controversial initiative in legal limbo. The fund's collapse under bipartisan pressure exposes rare cracks within Trump's support base in Congress. It must be noted that the ongoing legal challenge may set a precedent for how the administration deploys settlement funds in the future.

The "anti-weaponization fund," as announced by the Department of Justice (DOJ), sought to compensate those who claimed to have suffered "weaponization" and "lawfare" at the hands of the Biden administration. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had said the department intended to "right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again."

The fund carried a $1.776 billion budget managed by a five-member board empowered to issue monetary claims and formal apologies. It emerged from the settlement of Trump's high-profile $10-billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, which he filed alongside his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization in January, following the leak of their tax returns.