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President Donald Trump is facing rare pushback
over his nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate

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victims of alleged government weaponization.
Three sources told Reuters on Monday that some

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Republicans in Congress expressed fierce
opposition to the fund, which has now been put

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on hold. is notable given Trump's insistence
on loyalty and his threats to back

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challengers against Republicans who break
ranks. Speaking to reporter, Senate Majority

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Leader John Thune said he made clear to the
White House that the fund needed to be scrapped.

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A White House source said Republicans gave
them an ultimatum. The fund stemmed from a

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legal settlement between Trump and the Justice
Department over a $10 billion lawsuit against

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the IRS for the alleged mishandling of his tax
records. It was meant to compensate people said

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to have been victims of government abuse, but
it quickly trigger. Backlash including concerns

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that January 6th rioters could benefit from it
. Here's Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

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Trump wants the American people to pay for
handouts for mega billionaires, cop beating

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January 6th insurrectionists, and his own
family. He wanted no transparency, no oversight,

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no accountability. It's disgusting. And some
Senate Republicans shared those concerns. And

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the midterm elections are fast approaching.
Matthew Dallek is a professor of political

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management at George Washington University. It
just looks, smells, and feels really funky

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for even some Republican senators who, you
know, are kind of saying I've had enough. They

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don't want Trump doing anything. Beyond what
he's already done, that's going to make their

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situation even harder. On Friday, a federal
judge in Virginia temporarily halted the Trump

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administration from setting up the fund until
June 12th, while additional legal arguments are

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heard. In a statement on Monday, the Justice
Department said it disagrees strongly but will

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abide by the court's ruling. A White House
source said Trump is not thrilled but

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understands this is the only way forward for
now, adding that nothing is final until the

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president says so.