Republicans and Democrats team up to tank Trump 'slush fund'

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner with the leaders of the C5+1Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, in the East Room of the White House

In a divided political landscape, one of the few things that seems to have united politicians from both sides of the aisle is outrage at the “slush fund” that has emerged from President Donald Trump’s IRS settlement. Political leaders of all stripes have expressed anger at the idea that $1.8 billion in taxpayer dollars could go to those convicted of committing crimes during the January 6 riots, and now one piece of bipartisan legislation seeks to put a stop to it.

Co-authored by Representatives Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), the Bipartisan Transparency for American Taxpayers Act declares that “no federal funds may be used for the payment of any claim submitted to the Anti-Weaponization Fund, established by the Department of Justice on May 18, 2026.” And that’s all there is to it. It’s an exceptionally concise piece of legislation that, if adopted, would effectively mean the end of Trump’s slush fund.

There is no reference, however, to another highly controversial aspect of the settlement, which barred the IRS from auditing the taxes of Trump, his family, or anyone in his organization “forever.” According to former IRS commissioner John Koskinen, he’s “never heard” of such a deal, and it raises important questions: “You do have to wonder what's in those returns that makes it so important for them not to be audited.”

The announcement of the fund’s creation has drawn widespread condemnation and has thrown the GOP into disarray. On Thursday, Trump’s acting Attorney General and former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, met with congressional Republicans in an attempt to win their support for the fund, which one conservative Senator has referred to as “tyranny.” The meeting was an abject failure, with Republicans adjourning for the Memorial Day break not only with no agreement on the fund, but without approving an immigration and border enforcement budget reconciliation bill they had hoped to have ready for Trump’s signature by Friday.

Republican opposition to the fund may not only spoil what Trump loyalists viewed as a major windfall — with convicted J6ers already saying they expect payouts as high as $30 million — but has upended much of the party’s current agenda. The relentless chaos and infighting will likely impact the GOP’s already suffering midterm chances, and they know it. As one Republican Senator said after the Blanche meeting failed to produce results, “Our majority is melting down before our eyes.”

Meanwhile, some Democrats are grabbing the popcorn to watch as the GOP implodes.

“It looks like Republicans are blowing up the whole damn reconciliation over Trump’s corrupt cop-beater-slush fund,” said a visibly delighted Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). “Oh my lord, what a mess. But it’s a good thing for America.”

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