President Trump on Monday voiced frustration after the Justice Department officially rescinded a proposed $1.8 billion fund for people who claimed they were victims of political prosecutions, including defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“These people were treated horribly and [the proposed fund] could have given them some solace,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
While Mr. Trump did not specifically refer to the Jan. 6 participants by name, he made it clear that was who he was talking about. He name-checked Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran who was fatally shot by a U.S. Capitol Police officer while trying to force entry into the Speaker’s Lobby.
“Twenty-two suicides. More than that, I think. Look at Ashli. Look at so many other things that happened,” Mr. Trump said, adding that defendants spent “years in prison” but “in many cases, people did absolutely nothing wrong.”
“So I view the fund as a positive and a lot of Republicans do too. Not so many Democrats,” the president said.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on late Sunday scrapped the anti-weaponization fund in hopes of winning confirmation to the permanent post. The announcement comes two days before the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on his nomination.
Mr. Blanche faced pushback from key Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who said their support for him hinged on the administration rescinding its plans for the fund.
The fund was part of a settlement that stemmed from a lawsuit Mr. Trump filed against the IRS over his leaked tax returns. As part of that settlement, Mr. Trump and his family would have been protected from future tax audits.
However, Mr. Blanche on Sunday night also reiterated that the settlement did not rule out future IRS audits of Mr. Trump or his family.
