Trump chose transparency instead of a payout — and his critics hate it

Last week, the Justice Department announced a new $1.8 billion “anti‑weaponization fund” as part of the settlement of President Trump’s lawsuit over the illegal leak of his tax returns.

Trump did something rare in Washington: He walked away from potentially billions in direct damages for himself and his company, so that the federal government would instead set up a process to compensate Americans abused by that same government.

That is the truth behind this fund — and it is why so many of Trump’s political opponents and critics are now lining up against it. They are not objecting because the fund is corrupt, but because it exposes misconduct inside government that was long downplayed or ignored.

For years, Americans watched federal agencies turn their power against citizens on the wrong side of the prevailing political consensus. Conservatives were targeted by the IRS. Parents were treated as threats for speaking out at school board meetings. Pro‑life advocates were dragged into court on trumped-up charges. Traditional Catholics were monitored. Political opponents of the Biden administration were treated not simply as rivals, but as potential dangers.

Trump has made clear that this pattern must end. The White House’s own fact sheet on ending the weaponization of the federal government says his fiscal 2027 budget is meant to restore a government “by and for the people,” not one that targets and intimidates the people.

The anti‑weaponization fund is now in place, and many of the same voices that........

© The Hill