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By Steve Mollman
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President Donald Trump faces mounting pushback from within his own party as Republican lawmakers increasingly break with his key priorities—from a controversial Justice Department "anti-weaponization" fund to spending proposals and foreign policy decisions, including the conflict in Iran.
The disagreements, which span both chambers of Congress, underscore a growing strain between Trump’s agenda and Republican concerns about policy direction, political optics, and the party’s prospects ahead of this year's midterms. The emerging divisions raise questions about Trump’s ability to maintain unity on Capitol Hill as his administration pursues a sweeping policy agenda. Republican resistance could complicate efforts to pass legislation while also signaling broader unease within the party about the political costs of aligning too closely with Trump on controversial issues.
GOP Backlash to ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund
One of the most visible flashpoints is a $1.8 billion “anti‑weaponization fund” created as part of a settlement tied to Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, testifying at a Senate appropriations subcommittee hearing Tuesday, did not rule out the possibility that people convicted of assaulting police officers on January 6, 2021—when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol—could be considered for payments.
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Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina took issue with that and has emerged as one of the most vocal Republican critics of the fund, calling the idea “stupid on stilts” in an interview with Spectrum News on Wednesday.
“It will invariably put us in a position where your taxpayers dollars and my taxpayer dollars could potentially compensate someone who assaulted a police officer, admitted their guilt, got convicted, got pardoned and now we are going to pay them for that,” Tillis said. “That’s absurd.”
Vice President JD Vance pushed back on that idea, telling reporters on Tuesday, "We're not trying to give money to anybody who attacked a police officer. We’re trying to compensate people where the book was thrown at them, they were mistreated by the legal system.”
But other Republicans have also expressed concerns or questioned the fund’s structure, reflecting broader unease about the proposal’s scope and implications.
Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a centrist Republican representing a Pennsylvania swing district, called the fund “bad news” on Wednesday.
"We're going to try to kill it," he said in a video posted by Meidas Touch Washington correspondent Scott McFarlane. "We're considering legislative options. We're going to write a letter to the AG [attorney general] to start, but we're considering a legislative option. We're trying to unpack what exactly the legal machinations are, but—he can't do that.”
Meanwhile Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, told reporters on Tuesday that he’s "not a big fan" of the fund.
Republican Resistance to Ballroom Security Money
Pushback has also emerged over Trump’s proposed spending priorities, including funding tied to a ballroom at the White House. While the administration has said the ballroom itself would be privately funded, it sought to include $1 billion in taxpayer money for Secret Service security upgrades related to the project in a broader immigration enforcement reconciliation bill that Republicans are advancing on a party-line basis—aimed primarily at boosting funding for ICE and Border Patrol.
Republicans are expected to remove that component as they finalize the legislation.
“My understanding is that the security money has come out, and my understanding is it’s because the votes aren’t there,” Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters as he left a meeting of GOP senators.
The episode showed GOP lawmakers breaking with a high-profile Trump proposal, highlighting tensions over spending decisions even among allies.
The anti‑weaponization fund, though it's a separate DOJ initiative, has also become a flashpoint in the GOP reconciliation bill as some Republicans try to use the must-pass package to restrict or address it.
The DOJ has insisted the fund is separate from reconciliation, but lawmakers have still tied it to the debate. A Justice Department spokesperson wrote in an emailed response to Newsweek on Thursday:
“The Acting Attorney General met with Senators today, and there was a healthy discussion on the settlement. He made clear that the Anti-Weaponization Fund announced Monday has nothing to do with reconciliation, indeed not a single dime from the money the President is seeking in reconciliation would go toward anything having to do with the Fund. We will continue to work with the Senate to get critical reconciliation funds approved.”
Nevertheless, uncertainty surrounding the fund spurred GOP lawmakers to put off voting on the immigration enforcement bill until after a weeklong Memorial Day recess.
“We will pick up where we left off,” Thune told reporters on Thursday, noting that the issue “makes everything way harder than it should be.” He added that it "would have been nice" if the White House had consulted senators first.
Newsweek also reached out to the White House on Thursday and was referred to the Justice Department.
More Thorns in Trump’s Side
Trump, when asked at the White House on Thursday whether he was losing control of Senate Republicans, responded: “I don’t know. I really don’t know,” before adding he did not need funding for the ballroom project.
At the same time, Trump has continued to pressure dissenting Republicans, backing primary challengers against lawmakers who oppose even part of his agenda and intensifying internal party tensions.
Ironically, his recent success in defeating GOP critics—including Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie—may in some ways loosen his grip on the party. The lame-duck lawmakers will remain in office until January next year, but, with little to lose, will feel less pressure to align with the president.
That would put them more in the category of Tillis or Nebraska Representative Don Bacon, neither of whom is seeking reelection and both of whom have readily broken with the president on key issues.
Signs that Cassidy may become more of a thorn in Trump’s side have already emerged. After taking swipes at Trump in his concession speech on Saturday night, he didn’t hesitate to criticize the administration’s anti-weaponization fund, writing on X on Wednesday:
"People are concerned about paying their mortgage or rent, affording groceries and paying for gas, not about putting together a $1.8 billion fund for the President and his allies to pay whomever they wish with no legal precedent or accountability. This is adding to our national debt. If there needs to be a settlement, the administration should bring it to Congress to decide."
Iran War Sparks GOP Divide
Cassidy, who drew Trump’s wrath for voting to convict him in his second impeachment trial, also joined three other Republican senators on Tuesday in voting to advance a war powers resolution that would force further Senate action on the war with Iran.
"While I support the administration's efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, the White House and Pentagon have left Congress in the dark on Operation Epic Fury," Cassidy wrote on X Tuesday evening. "In Louisiana, I’ve heard from people, including President Trump’s supporters, who are concerned about this war. Until the administration provides clarity, no congressional authorization or extension can be justified."
In the House, Fitzpatrick said he plans to support the war powers resolution. “We’re past 60 days, so it’s got to be brought to us to vote on,” the Pennsylvania Republican said, according to the Associated Press. “We’re following the law.”
House Democrats had planned a Thursday vote on a resolution to rein in Trump’s military campaign, but GOP leaders backed off after it became clear Republicans lacked the votes to defeat it. The development underscored slipping support among lawmakers for the conflict, which Trump launched more than two months ago without congressional approval.
Endorsement Tussles
Meanwhile, some Senate Republicans were fuming this week about Trump’s endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton—who has been plagued by scandals—in the party primary runoff next week against Texas Senator John Cornyn. With many viewing Cornyn as the best pick for the general election, lawmakers fear it could cost them their majority in the upper chamber later this year in the midterms.
Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who has frequently angered the president with her independent stances, said that she was “supremely disappointed” by Trump’s move and feared it put the Texas seat "in jeopardy."
Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican who has similarly frustrated Trump, said the president picking Paxton left her dismayed.
“John Cornyn is an outstanding senator and deserved, in my judgment, the president’s support,” she said. “Obviously, it’s the president’s call, but I’m disappointed that he did it.”
Thune, too, expressed his disappointment, reiterating his support for Cornyn, calling the Texas senator a “principled conservative.”
Trump seemed more concerned about which candidate was the most loyal to him personally, saying Cornyn was “very late” backing his 2024 presidential run.
What Happens Next
It remains unclear whether the disagreements will coalesce into sustained opposition within the Republican Party or prove to be more isolated disputes. But as Congress continues to debate spending measures and oversee administration actions, Republican reactions to Trump’s agenda will likely remain a key factor shaping legislative outcomes—and the party’s political strategy moving forward.
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