{"id":628,"date":"2026-05-25T12:08:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T12:08:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=628"},"modified":"2026-05-25T12:08:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T12:08:25","slug":"trump-tillis-feud-over-1-8-billion-fund-for-those-deemed-politically-persecuted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=628","title":{"rendered":"Trump, Tillis feud over $1.8 billion fund for those deemed politically persecuted"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning! I hope you all had a restful Memorial Day. I\u2019m Danielle Battaglia<\/b> here with the latest edition of Under the Dome<\/b> focused on the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

Read more Six unheralded Carolina Panthers players battling to become next Brycen Tremayne<\/a><\/p>\n

Grab a coffee and a biscotti to enjoy while I explain how a $1.8 billion fund from a settlement tanked funding for immigration enforcement and left Sen. Thom Tillis<\/b> in President Donald Trump<\/b>\u2019s crosshairs. It\u2019s a wild ride.<\/p>\n

Last week, the Justice Department announced a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund to be distributed to people targeted by the government.<\/p>\n

The fund was created<\/a> in a settlement after Trump sued the IRS for leaking his tax return. The out-of court-settlement<\/a> permanently ended any investigations into Trump, his family members and his businesses. In exchange, Trump dropped his lawsuit against the government \u2014 that he runs.<\/p>\n

There was immediate outcry that this is a slush fund for Trump allies and those charged with participation in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump pardoned the Jan. 6 participants<\/a> as soon as he got into office.<\/p>\n

There are more than 30 residents of North Carolina<\/a> who faced charges for that day. And since Trump allies could also try to claim the funds, it\u2019s worth noting that Trump\u2019s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows<\/b><\/a> and his attorney Sidney Powell,<\/a><\/b> both former North Carolina residents, were charged, and the latter convicted for the part they played in attempting to overturn President Joe Biden<\/b>\u2019s election.<\/p>\n

Two of the officers injured during the insurrection already filed a lawsuit to stop the money from being distributed.<\/p>\n

My competitor, Reuben Jones,<\/b> who I affectionately call my frenemy (Spectrum News is the rare outlet with a Washington-based correspondent who specializes in North Carolina politics), f<\/a>ound Sen. Thom Tillis<\/b> in the Capitol<\/a> and asked him his thoughts on this fund.<\/p>\n

And he had some.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s stupid on stilts,\u201d Tillis said. \u201cIt will invariably put us in a position where my taxpayer dollars and your taxpayer dollars could potentially compensate someone who assaulted a police officer, admitted their guilt, got convicted, got pardoned, and now we\u2019re going to pay them for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Republican from Huntersville called that \u201cabsurd\u201d and said Americans will reject it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you take money from me to give to a purpose that I vehemently disagree with, that\u2019s tyranny and that\u2019s what that account is,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Tillis has been an outspoken critic of the Jan. 6 insurrection. And he wasn\u2019t the only one speaking out against the fund last week.<\/p>\n

And U.S. Treasury General Counsel Brian Morrissey<\/b> resigned quickly after the settlement\u2019s announcement.<\/p>\n

Read more A history of the I-77 South toll project: What happened and how it was killed<\/a><\/p>\n

In a Senate hearing, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche<\/b> told lawmakers that anyone could apply for the money, including Biden\u2019s son, Hunter.<\/p>\n

Which leads to the question: Is former FBI Director James Comey<\/b> looking to cash in? He was just charged with threatening Trump for taking photos of seashells that spelled out \u201c86 47\u201d on a North Carolina beach.<\/p>\n

One more important piece of context with this new fund is it expires just weeks before Trump leaves office.<\/p>\n

News of this account has had ripple effects that impacted Trump\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n

The Senate was looking to pass a reconciliation bill to fund immigration enforcement<\/b> by the end of last week. Trump asked that the bill be on his desk by June 1.<\/p>\n

If the Senate agreed to it last week, the House would still need to take it up.<\/p>\n

At the beginning of the week, Senate Republicans were concerned about a line item to fund the White House ballroom,<\/b> but that problem seemed surmountable. But when questions arose about whether an amendment would come up over this new fund, leadership punted the entire process, sent members home, and Congress is now on recess until June 1.<\/b><\/p>\n

And it doesn\u2019t seem like Trump took the news too well.<\/p>\n

On Friday morning, he posted about Tillis saying, \u201cI called him a \u2018Nitpicker,\u2019 always fighting against the Republican Party, and ME, mostly on things that didn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also said, \u201cNow he can have all the fun he wants for a few months, with some of his RINO friends, screwing the Republican Party. In the end it will only get bigger, and better, and stronger, than ever before!!!\u201d<\/p>\n

Tillis questioned Trump\u2019s use of \u201cnitpicking\u201d in a social media post of his own, but went through items he disagreed with, asking which adviser gave him bad advice to support those.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf opposing these things makes me a RINO, then I gladly accept that nickname,\u201d Tillis wrote. \u201cWe need Republicans to do well in November, but the stupid stuff is killing our chances!\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s it for now. Thanks for reading and supporting local journalism.<\/p>\n

Be kind to each other. If you have any feedback or tips for this edition of the newsletter, feel free to reach out to me directly at dbattaglia@mcclatchydc.com.<\/p>\n

Not a subscriber? Sign up<\/a> on our website to receive Under the Dome in your inbox daily.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 5:00 AM<\/span> with the headline “Trump, Tillis feud over $1.8 billion fund for those deemed politically persecuted.” <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Read more NASCAR teammates \u2018battled each other\u2019 instead of leader, squander Coke 600 win<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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