Pence calls Trump's 'anti-weaponisation' fund 'deeply offensive' and says it should be dropped

Pence calls Trump's 'anti-weaponisation' fund 'deeply offensive' and says it should be droppedJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSakshi VenkatramanGetty ImagesFormer US Vice-President Mike Pence has sharply criticised the Trump administration's $1.8bn fund to compensate people alleging unfair treatment under previous administrations.The Trump administration announced what it called an "anti-weaponisation fund" earlier this month for "victims of lawfare" to seek compensation.But Pence, who was Trump's vice-president, said it was a "bad idea from the start" and should be dropped.Many Trump supporters who were prosecuted over the US Capitol riot on 6 January 2021 have said they plan to seek compensation.Pence, who was in the US Capitol at the time and whom rioters threatened with violence, told NBC the fund was "deeply offensive".Pence was rushed into hiding at the Capitol as it was stormed by hundreds of people falsely calling the election "stolen". After the building was cleared, the former vice-president presided over the certification of Joe Biden's victory.Nearly 1,600 people were charged with crimes associated with the riot, including about 175 charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer, according to Department of Justice (DoJ) figures.Pence was asked by NBC News on Saturday morning about the fund potentially compensating rioters prosecuted for their role in the attack."It's deeply offensive to me that you could have a fund that could even possibly compensate people who assaulted police officers or vandalised the Capitol on January 6," Pence said. "I think that's broadly held by most Republicans and most Americans." Trump administration unveils $1.8bn fund to compensate his allies as he drops tax lawsuitThe DoJ set up the fund as part of a settlement with President Donald Trump over a l...