Ted Cruz has revealed that Senate Republicans fiercely confronted acting Attorney General Todd Blanche during a closed-door meeting over the Trump administration’s proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund.
Speaking on his podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz, the Texas senator described the meeting as one of the most intense he has witnessed during his time in the Senate.
“Fiery does not begin to cut it,” Cruz said. “My guess is there’re probably 45 senators in the room, at least half of them were blasting the attorney general, and they were pissed.”
The meeting reportedly took place on Thursday as Republicans discussed the controversial fund, which later stalled a planned vote on legislation to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol operations.
Cruz claimed many Republican senators were concerned the fund could appear politically damaging because it looked as though President Donald Trump had “cut a deal with himself.”
“There were multiple senators yelling at the attorney general, saying this feels like self-dealing,” Cruz said.
“I got to tell you, the Republican senators were pissed — people were the entire meeting. They were screaming at the acting attorney general, and he was trying to lay out the legal basis,” he added, while insisting that “the legal basis is quite sound.”
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Cruz’s remarks.
The proposed fund was announced after Trump agreed to drop a $10 billion lawsuit linked to a 2022 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago and claims connected to the Russia investigation during the 2016 election. According to Justice Department officials, the fund would help address grievances from individuals who allegedly suffered “weaponization and lawfare.”
Cruz said the backlash within the Republican caucus was so severe that many GOP senators were prepared to side with Democrats if amendments targeting the fund had reached the Senate floor.
He described it as “the degree of the jailbreak of Republicans who were bolting, who were saying we’re going to vote with the Democrats.”
The senator warned that unless changes are made before Congress resumes session, the administration could face serious resistance from Republicans in the Senate.
“If the administration does not modify the anti-weaponization fund by the time Congress comes back into session, they’ve got a full-on revolt in the Senate,” he said.
A White House official later said the administration appreciated the discussions and looked forward to more conversations on the issue.
Several Republican lawmakers have also publicly criticised the fund. Senator Thom Tillis reportedly described it as “a payout pot for punks,” amid concerns that individuals convicted over the January 6 Capitol riot could potentially receive compensation.
Senator Bill Cassidy also criticised the initiative, saying, “Congress has had no input.”
Democrats have equally condemned the proposal. Senator Dick Durbin described “the notion of the federal government doling out compensation to rioters” as “absurd and offensive.”
Meanwhile, Representatives Tom Suozzi and Brian Fitzpatrick have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing federal funds from being used for the initiative.
