GOP Senator Revolts Against ‘Stupid on Stilts’ Trump Plan
The Daily Beast • • nation
Key Points:
- Republican Senator Thom Tillis strongly criticized the Trump administration's proposed "anti-weaponization fund," which could provide payouts to convicted January 6 rioters, calling it "stupid on stilts" and "horrible politics."
- Tillis argued that compensation might be justified only for those wrongly targeted by "lawfare" and found innocent, but said the fund's current form appears to reward convicted individuals who assaulted Capitol police.
- He demanded accountability, stating that those responsible for the fund's creation should be fired, and highlighted significant Republican opposition to the $1.776 billion proposal during a Senate meeting.
- Tillis also expressed concern that the fund distracts from pressing issues like affordability, Iran strategy, and threats from Putin, warning that the fund's anonymous payouts undermine transparency and public trust.
- The senator, who has become more vocal in his criticism of Trump since announcing his retirement, labeled the fund a "payout for punks" and insisted it should not proceed in its current form.