Sen. Thom Tillis sharply criticized a controversial compensation fund established by President Donald Trump’s administration, calling the $1.8 billion account “stupid on stilts” and warning it could end up rewarding individuals convicted of assaulting police officers during the January 6 Capitol riot.
The fund, announced after the Department of Justice agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization against the IRS over leaked tax returns, has quickly become a flashpoint inside the Republican Party.
Critics have raised multiple concerns about the arrangement, including the unusual situation of Trump serving simultaneously as president and as the plaintiff in litigation involving federal agencies under his authority. Questions have also emerged over the administration’s claim that the fund can distribute money without congressional approval.
Perhaps most controversial is the possibility that pardoned January 6 defendants — including some convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers — could seek compensation from the fund if they argue they were politically targeted.
Tillis did not mince words when discussing the matter during an interview with Reuben Jones of Spectrum News 1.
“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.”
The North Carolina Republican framed the issue as one of taxpayer rights and public trust, arguing Americans should not be forced to fund causes they fundamentally oppose.
“When you take money from me to give to a purpose that I vehemently disagree with, that’s tyranny, and that’s what that account is,” Tillis added.
The comments mark another sign of growing friction inside the GOP during Trump’s second term, particularly among Republicans increasingly willing to criticize the administration publicly. Tillis has become more outspoken since announcing he would not seek reelection to the Senate seat he has held since 2014.
He recently criticized Trump over the bitter Republican Senate primary battle in Texas, arguing it was a strategic mistake for Republicans to allow infighting to continue after Trump reportedly reconsidered an early endorsement of incumbent Sen. John Cornyn before eventually backing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Tillis also directed criticism at Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, particularly after Blanche declined to rule out compensation for January 6 rioters who assaulted police officers.
Calling Blanche’s remarks “objectionable,” Tillis argued Republicans risk undermining their longstanding support for law enforcement if they appear to excuse violence against police.
“What we’re doing as Republicans now, the Democrats have been for years, yelling ‘defund the police’ and disrupting the police,” Tillis said. “Now we’re looking no different than them.”
The senator suggested the controversy could even affect whether he supports Blanche if Trump formally nominates him to remain attorney general permanently. Blanche has served in the role on an interim basis following the departure of former Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this year.
Tillis drew a firm line on the Capitol riot, describing January 6 as “one of the darkest days in American history” and warning that anyone perceived as minimizing violence against police officers would struggle to earn his support.
The dispute highlights continuing tensions inside Washington over how the country should handle the aftermath of January 6, even as broader concerns about government spending, political division, and foreign conflicts continue weighing heavily on voters at home.
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