Full Breakdown
Senator Tillis Calls Out Political Weaponization and IRS Settlement
8/6/2026, 12:36:09 AM
Core Event
Senator John Tillis, one of two Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is withholding his vote to confirm Judge Blanche. Tillis says the hold is tied to President Trump’s settlement with the Internal Revenue Service, which established a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and granted Trump and his family immunity from IRS audits. He frames the issue as a broader problem of partisan weaponization that spans multiple administrations.
Background on the Settlement
The settlement in question was reached after the Treasury Department concluded that the Trump administration had improperly used the IRS to target political opponents. As part of the agreement, the IRS created the anti-weaponization fund and agreed not to audit the former president or his immediate family. Tillis argues that this arrangement exemplifies how both parties have engaged in retaliatory tactics.
Data & Statistics
- $1.776 billion allocated to the Anti-Weaponization Fund.
- Immunity from IRS audits extended to Donald Trump and his family members.
Official Statements & Responses
Tillis emphasizes that no side can claim moral superiority. He urges recognition of “bad behavior” across administrations and suggests that the current climate may be “a little more intense” than previous ones.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Everybody has this view that they are as pure as the driven snow and it’s the other side that has a problem. I think we both have a problem, folks. If you want to talk about weaponization, take a look at the Biden administration, take a look at the Obama administration,” — Tillis
- “The bottom line is, nobody is clean here, and until we start recognizing this behavior as bad, we’re just going to one-up it. Maybe it’s a little bit more intense in this administration than the last one, and that a little bit more intense the prior administration, and so on and so forth, but folks, we’ve got to end this stuff. We do,” — Tillis
