Republican senators reportedly confronted acting Attorney General Todd Blanche during a closed-door briefing about the Trump administration’s proposed 1.8 billion dollar “anti-weaponisation” fund.

According to Senator Ted Cruz, the meeting became highly confrontational, with numerous Republican lawmakers angrily questioning the legal and political implications of the proposal.

Cruz described it as one of the most intense meetings he had witnessed in Congress, saying several senators accused the administration of creating the appearance of self-dealing by establishing a fund linked to former President Donald Trump’s legal disputes.The controversy emerged after Trump agreed to withdraw a 10 billion dollar lawsuit against the IRS.

Critics within the Republican Party argued that the compensation programme could be politically damaging, especially because some individuals connected to the 6 January Capitol riot might potentially benefit from it.

Senator Thom Tillis referred to the initiative as a “payout pot for punks”, while Senator Bill Cassidy criticised the White House for failing to involve Congress in the process.

Cruz warned that many Republican senators were prepared to join Democrats in supporting amendments to restrict the fund during upcoming Senate votes related to ICE and Border Patrol funding.

He suggested the administration could face a serious rebellion within the Senate if the proposal is not revised before lawmakers return to Washington.Democrats have also strongly opposed the measure.

Senator Dick Durbin called the idea of compensating rioters “absurd and offensive”, while Representatives Tom Suozzi and Brian Fitzpatrick introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing federal money from being used for the programme.

Despite mounting criticism from both parties, Trump defended the fund on Truth Social, arguing that he was helping people who had been unfairly targeted by the government.