Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is warning President Trump about a "revolt" within his own party. On his Verdict with Ted Cruz podcast, Cruz describes last week's meeting between Republican senators and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as "one of the roughest" he has seen in his time in the Senate. "There were multiple senators who were yelling at the attorney general," says Cruz. "Fiery does not begin to cut it...the senators were pissed."
What had senators so hot and bothered is the Trump administration's announcement of a new $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, aimed at compensating people who were victims of unjust government prosecutions, particularly under the Biden administration. While Cruz says he believes the legal basis for the fund is sound, many of his colleagues are concerned it is too broad and could potentially be abused by those who have committed legitimate crimes. Moreover, some Republicans worry the fund is politically toxic and puts the GOP on the defensive heading into the midterms.
Ultimately, that heated meeting is what led to the Senate scrapping a vote on the GOP reconciliation bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol. That vote now can't happen until the Senate returns to session at the start of June. Cruz believes cooler heads will eventually prevail after a few days off. "Here's what's going to happen," he said. "There's going to be some change to this judgment fund, something the White House and the Department of Justice agrees on. Because if nothing changes, we don't have the votes to secure our border, and it is impossible to imagine that we will not fund border security."
President Trump is no stranger to Republican senators like Rand Paul, Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkowski, Bill Cassidy, and Susan Collins opposing him on various issues. But Cruz warns opposition to this anti-weaponization fund is much more widespread and could derail Trump's agenda if not addressed. "Look, I'm a yes vote regardless, so I ain't the problem here," says Cruz. "But I'll tell you, out of 45 Republicans in that meeting, there were 20 'no' votes...that is a problem."
"The solution is we will see the administration announce, at a minimum, a modification of this (fund)," he continues. "Because if they don't, they've got a full-on revolt in the Senate."
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