The Daily Fuckup

A federal judge has kept the Trump administration from moving ahead with its $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, extending an earlier block and ordering the government to put its position in writing under oath. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said the fund will remain blocked until further notice and told the government to file a sworn declaration by June 19, 2026, assuring the court it would not try to advance the program while the case is pending. The order preserves the freeze on creation and operations, but it does not resolve the fund’s ultimate legality. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/d8345ce8f5c7f8062b858e54c396c450?utm_source=openai))

The fund was announced in May as part of a settlement tied to President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. The Justice Department said the arrangement would create a process to hear claims from people who say they were harmed by government “weaponization” or lawfare, and that the fund would receive $1.776 billion from the judgment fund. The department also said the settlement would provide Trump and the other plaintiffs with a formal apology, but no monetary payment. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-anti-weaponization-fund?utm_source=openai))

The case drew quick backlash, and plaintiffs challenging the fund argued that the administration could not simply declare the dispute moot after the original temporary block. Brinkema’s June 12 order rejected that posture for now and kept the injunction in place while the litigation continues. That is an inference from the order’s practical effect: the fund cannot move forward unless and until the court lifts the block or otherwise changes course. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/d8345ce8f5c7f8062b858e54c396c450?utm_source=openai))

For now, the result is simple. The administration has a fund on paper, but not one it can legally deploy. Any release of money, claims processing or other operations stays on hold while the court weighs the challenge and the government files the sworn assurance the judge demanded. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/d8345ce8f5c7f8062b858e54c396c450?utm_source=openai))