00:00President Donald Trump is facing rare pushback over his nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of alleged government
00:09weaponization.
00:10Three sources told Reuters on Monday that some Republicans in Congress expressed fierce opposition to the fund, which has now
00:17been put on hold.
00:19The resistance is notable, given Trump's insistence on loyalty and his threats to back challengers against Republicans who break ranks.
00:27Speaking to reporter Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he made clear to the White House that the fund needed
00:33to be scrapped.
00:34A White House source said Republicans gave them, quote, an ultimatum.
00:38The fund stemmed from a legal settlement between Trump and the Justice Department over a $10 billion lawsuit against the
00:46IRS for the alleged mishandling of his tax records.
00:49It was meant to compensate people said to have been victims of government abuse.
00:54But it quickly triggered backlash, including concerns that January 6th rioters could benefit from it.
01:00Here's Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
01:03Trump wants the American people to pay for handouts for MAGA billionaires, cop-beating January 6th insurrectionists and his own
01:11family.
01:12He wanted no transparency, no oversight, no accountability. It's disgusting.
01:17And some Senate Republicans shared those concerns.
01:20And the midterm elections are fast approaching.
01:23Matthew Dalek is a professor of political management at George Washington University.
01:28It just looks, smells, and feels really funky for even some Republican senators who are kind of saying, I've had
01:38enough.
01:38They don't want Trump doing anything beyond what he's already done that's going to make their situation even harder.
01:45On Friday, a federal judge in Virginia temporarily halted the Trump administration from setting up the front until June 12th,
01:53while additional legal arguments are heard.
01:55In a statement on Monday, the Justice Department said it, quote,
01:58disagrees strongly but will abide by the court's ruling.
02:02A White House source said Trump is, quote,
02:04not thrilled but understands this is the only way forward, for now, adding that nothing is final until the president
02:11says so.
02:11You don't need it.
02:12You don't need it.
02:13You
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