Trump’s $1.8 Billion Fund Tests Constitutional Limits
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- President Trump dropped his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for a government commitment to create a $1.8 billion fund to benefit his political allies.
- Todd Blanche, Trump’s former lawyer and acting attorney general, issued an addendum granting Trump immunity from lawsuits related to "lawfare," weaponization, and tax liabilities.
- Legal experts expressed concern that this unprecedented deal challenges constitutional norms, potentially undermining Congress’s control over funding and the judiciary’s role in maintaining separation of powers.
- The arrangement raises the unresolved constitutional question of whether a president can pardon himself.