Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) says a website processing error is to blame for a nine-month-late financial disclosure.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) threw President Donald Trump's words back in his face on Friday after one of his Truth Social Rants.
Trump ranted, John Cornyn never had a problem with the so called 'fund,' which will not benefit me, but rather the great American patriots who were hunted down like dogs and whose lives were unfairly and illegally destroyed by the Crooked Joe Biden administration, until after I decided to endorse and support his Republican primary opponent in Texas, who easily won the nomination for the United States Senate."
Indeed, the Justice Department announced on Monday, May 18 that it would create a nearly $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund." Trump endorsed Cornyn's opponent the following day, May 19. Cornyn lost his primary election five days later.
"Perhaps there has never been a group of people treated so badly in our nation’s history," claimed Trump.
Trump claimed many of those targeted "are suffering still, many ruined, and I felt that they should be given compensation for what has been done to them. I gave up any payments for myself, which would have been substantial, including for the illegal and unprecedented raid on Mar-a-Lago, my home in Florida, even though many legal experts, and others, including John Cornyn, said it was a shocking and disgusting display of 'weaponization' against me. Such an event has never happened before, and hopefully will never happen again!"
While many former officeholders have been found to have government documents that should have been given to the National Archives, all of them returned the documents once they were found. Trump refused to turn over the documents, even after the National Archives said it would have to get the FBI involved if he wouldn't hand them over.
"I will always feel that these victims of government abuse should be paid back for what they were forced to endure, their lives have been ruined! millions of people agree with me, as was proven in my landslide presidential win, where this was a major subject of debate, and so did John Cornyn, until he lost his election to an opponent that I endorsed. Todd Blanche, a good man, should be immediately approved as U.S. attorney general. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
While the note wasn't directed at Tillis, he responded anyway, repeating the president's words to reinforce his point.
"The president made it clear today that the so-called 'anti-weaponization fund' is still alive, which is exactly why we are attempting to formally end it. While I never disagreed that the Biden administration pursued a number of vindictive prosecutions related to January 6, the criminals who assaulted police officers and defiled our nation’s Capitol are not 'great American patriots' who are 'victims of government abuse,'" Tillis wrote on X.
He pressed further saying, "anyone who attacked law enforcement should still be in prison, not getting a check from the federal government."
Polls taken days before the pardons showed that Americans overwhelmingly opposed his pardons of the Jan. 6 attackers. The States United Democracy Center showed that 66 percent opposed pardons for those who violently assaulted police and 65 percent opposed pardons for those who committed other violent crimes.
"Senator Cornyn and I have been working with Acting AG Todd Blanche to end the 'anti-weaponization fund,' and he has been forthright, thoughtful and patient," said Tillis. "It’s a shame his confirmation has hit a snag only because an incompetent personal advisor to the president refuses to amend the bogus settlement. I will continue working in good faith to put an end this legal and political albatross and prevent any potential misallocation of taxpayer dollars."
Tillis made a similar comment on Thursday, saying he didn't believe that Trump was the one pressing for the fund. Trump then responded on Truth Social that indeed, he wanted the fund.