EPISODE · May 20, 2026 · 16 MIN
It’s official: It pays to be an insurrectionist
from Hope For America with Heather Delaney Reese · host Heather Delaney Reese
At 10:24 in the morning, the Department of Justice delivered another blow to our country when it bent to corruption and chose to reward political violence. The $1.776 billion slush fund for Trump's enablers, including the January 6 insurrectionists, was made official. They named it "The Anti-Weaponization Fund," and they chose the number 1776 on purpose. They are branding corruption as patriotism. This may very well be one of, if not the most dangerous abuses of power in the history of our country.Based on the events of 5-18-2026The Breakdown:The DOJ officially established the "Anti-Weaponization Fund," also called "The President Donald J. Trump Truth and Justice Commission," funded with $1.776 billionThe money comes from the Treasury's Judgment Fund, which the DOJ calls "a perpetual appropriation," with no congressional vote requiredA five-member commission appointed by Trump's former criminal defense attorney, Acting AG Todd Blanche, will hand out the moneyQuarterly reports go only to the Attorney General. No requirement to inform Congress or the public. Audits are optional.Payouts run through December 15, 2028, conveniently covering the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential electionThe nearly 1,600 people charged in connection with the January 6 attack on the Capitol can file claimsTrump's $10 billion IRS lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice days before Judge Kathleen Williams could rule on whether it was even legitimateTrump's lawyers argued the dismissal was "self-executing" and that "no judicial analysis is appropriate," language designed to bypass the judge entirelySenator Ron Wyden called it "one of the most corrupt acts in American political history"CREW called it "the most brazen act of self-dealing in the history of the presidency"93 House Democrats filed an amicus brief warning of "the specter of corruption unparalleled in American history"Why this fund is a signal to anyone willing to commit political violence on Trump's behalf that they will be protected legally and financiallyHow this is January 6, version 2.0, and it is now fundedAlligator Alcatraz cost nearly $1 billion to operate before being shut down this week, at $1.2 million per day with $850 per bedThe Trump administration is proposing $2 billion per year to rebuild the disease surveillance systems we used to access through the WHO for a fraction of that costWhy every contract goes to someone in his orbitWhy the economic squeeze and the voting squeeze are the same squeezeHennepin County filed criminal charges against ICE agent Christian Castro for the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in MinneapolisA nationwide warrant has been issued, and the record does not go awayThe New York Times/Siena poll out this morning has Trump at 37 percent approvalHe is bleeding the American people dry so we cannot afford to fight back. Desperate people cannot push back, donate, fund legal challenges, or run for office. The squeeze on us is not collateral damage. The squeeze is the whole point. And the ground is shifting under his feet faster than he can keep up. That gives us a real chance in November.
What this episode covers
At 10:24 in the morning, the Department of Justice delivered another blow to our country when it bent to corruption and chose to reward political violence. The $1.776 billion slush fund for Trump's enablers, including the January 6 insurrectionists, was made official. They named it "The Anti-Weaponization Fund," and they chose the number 1776 on purpose. They are branding corruption as patriotism. This may very well be one of, if not the most dangerous abuses of power in the history of our co...
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It’s official: It pays to be an insurrectionist
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