President Donald Trump declined Sunday to definitively rule out compensating people charged with assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, defending a proposed “anti-weaponization” fund that has drawn bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill.
Trump Defends Fund For Jan. 6 Defendants
Trump made the comments in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” where he argued that people who entered the Capitol as Congress prepared to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory were treated unfairly by prosecutors and should receive compensation.
“Well, look – if it was up to me, I’d pay them the kind of money that they deserve. People have been destroyed. Lives have been destroyed,” Trump told host Kristen Welker.
Earlier in the interview, Trump said, “So, me, personally, I think the weaponization fund is a great idea, and so do many other Republicans.” Referring to Justice Department approval, he added, “You have to get it approved. If they get it approved, that’s great.” If not, he said, “I’d be disappointed.”
Justice Department Dropped Payout Plan
The comments came days after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers the Justice Department was “not moving forward with the fund, period.” The $1.776 billion fund was created as part of a settlement in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax records.
Blanche also signed a memo barring the IRS, housed inside the Treasury Department, from reviewing prior tax returns of the president, his family or his businesses.
Lawmakers in both parties had criticized the fund, warning that taxpayers could end up paying people convicted of wrongdoing tied to the Capitol attack, including those who assaulted police officers. After a federal judge in Virginia temporarily blocked payouts and a federal judge in Florida reopened Trump’s IRS case, the Justice Department dropped the plan.
Benzinga reached out to the Department of Justice for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
Assault Cases Remain Central To Debate
Trump told Welker the fund was meant for people “destroyed by dirty cops and by weaponization” of government. He said claims would be reviewed individually by “fair people” and “smart people.”
As of January 2025, 172 people had pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement in connection with Jan. 6, according to the Police Executive Research Forum. More than 140 officers were injured.
Photo Courtesy: Joey Sussman on Shutterstock.com
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