A US judge has continued to block the Trump administration's proposed US$1.8 billion 'anti-weaponisation' fund.
US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, Jun 11, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Daniel Heuer)
13 Jun 2026 03:20AM
WASHINGTON: A US judge indefinitely blocked a US$1.8 billion "anti-weaponisation" fund supported by US President Donald Trump on Friday (Jun 12), giving the administration one week to provide a sworn statement that the fund will not go forward.US District Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia said the Justice Department’s public pronouncements that the fund would not move forward were not enough to prevent the judge from ruling on whether the plan is legal.Brinkema issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from creating the fund while the lawsuit moves forward. The case was brought by a group of individuals and organisations who alleged they were victims of political targeting by the Trump administration and would be ineligible for compensation from the fund.The judge said it was “problematic” that the administration sought to set up a pool of taxpayer money to favour “an extremely small group” that many Americans feel engaged in “unacceptable” conduct.
