White House directly involved in Blanche order rescinding ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

Key Points:

• The White House, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Director of Legislative Affairs James Braid, was directly involved in Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s order to rescind President Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund, with Blanche coordinating closely with top officials.
• President Trump was aware of the agreement reached between Blanche and Senate Republicans John Cornyn and Thom Tillis to rescind the fund and limit IRS tax investigation agreements, but he did not personally review or approve the deal.
• Despite viewing the fund positively, Trump agreed to rescind it under advisement from his team to secure Blanche’s Senate confirmation as attorney general, prioritizing the nomination over the fund’s continuation.
• Blanche faced challenges negotiating with Cornyn and Tillis, particularly regarding IRS protections, leading to multiple revisions of the agreement before a final deal was publicly announced late Sunday night.
• Some Justice Department attorneys have questioned the legal binding nature of Blanche’s rescission memo, as it lacked signatures from Trump’s personal lawyers who were involved in the original settlement.