Senate Republicans Block Trump Budget Over $1.8B Jan. 6 Fund
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- Senate Republicans blocked a roughly $70 billion budget package for Trump's immigration and deportation operations, blowing past his June 1 deadline after objecting to a $1.776 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund for Jan. 6 rioters and others Trump believes were wrongly prosecuted.
- Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) called the compensation fund 'stupid on stilts' and a 'payout for punks,' while Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called it 'utterly stupid, morally wrong' — prompting Trump to fire back at Tillis on social media, accusing him of 'screwing the Republican Party.'
- The compensation fund stemmed from Trump negotiating a settlement to his own lawsuit against the IRS, an arrangement Tillis challenged: 'Under what circumstances would it ever make sense to provide restitution for people who were either pled guilty or were found guilty in a court of law?'
- House Speaker Mike Johnson pulled a war powers resolution from a vote when enough Republicans — including Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Tom Barrett (R-Mich.) — signaled support for halting Trump's military campaign in Iran.
- Trump's primary victories came with institutional costs: he took down Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana and Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky, and endorsed Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn in Texas — a move Tillis warned 'is going to be a lot more expensive to hold that seat.'
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met for hours behind closed doors with senators over the fund but left without a resolution; Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said the administration likely came away with 'an appreciation for the depth of feeling on the issue.'
- Retiring Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) warned that a 'totally loyal party' could end up 'in the minority,' while Cassidy — newly vanquished in his primary — returned to Washington and voted with Democrats to rein in the war in Iran.
Why it matters: Trump's primary wins are buying loyalty at the cost of legislative leverage: the budget delay pushes immigration funding past his June 1 deadline, and the willingness of figures like McConnell, Tillis, and even retiring members to break with him signals that the president's grip on Capitol Hill is fraying just as Republicans need unity to defend their majorities in November.
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