Summary5 min read

Pod Force One: Monday Mini – Democrat Hypocrisy on Anti-Weaponization Fund

Host: Miranda Devine (New York Post Columnist)
Release Date: June 1, 2026

Episode Overview

In this “Monday Mini” episode, Miranda Devine offers a sharp critique of Senate Democrats—focusing especially on Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon—over their attacks on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) newly rebranded Anti-Weaponization Fund. Miranda argues that the outrage from Wyden and other Democrats is both hypocritical and politically motivated, exposing what she describes as a pattern of selective accountability and partisan double standards.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context & Background of the DOJ Anti-Weaponization Fund

The DOJ’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is a rebranded version of the existing DOJ Judgment Fund, established decades ago to settle legal claims against the federal government.
Both parties’ administrations have used the Judgment Fund, sometimes for controversial payouts.
- Quote:
  
  “Administrations of both parties have repeatedly used the DOJ's judgment fund to settle legal claims against the federal government...”
  — Miranda Devine, [01:09]
Despite a botched rollout, Miranda defends the fund’s original purpose as legitimate and “a good idea,” refuting the notion that it’s “unprecedented or corrupt or Trump's personal slush fund.”

2. Democrat Criticisms and Miranda’s Counterpoints

Senator Ron Wyden is castigated for leading what Miranda calls “a dishonest charge” against the fund, accusing the Democrats of hyperbolic rhetoric.
- Wyden accused Trump of setting up a $1.7 billion “slush fund for right wing political violence,” calling it “the most brazen theft of taxpayer dollars in history.”
  — Quote (attributed to Sen. Wyden by Miranda), [04:02]
Miranda notes that high-profile settlements, such as those involving Michael Flynn and Michael Caputo, are similar to previous settlements under Democrat administrations.
She emphasizes that the authority to use the fund is long-standing, referring to input from whistleblower attorney Jason Foster:
- Quote:
  
  “The pre existing judgment fund is a permanent, infinite appropriation that the Attorney General can use to settle any claim.”
  — Jason Foster, paraphrased by Miranda, [02:49]

3. The Trump IRS Settlement and Media Spin

Miranda debunks claims that the Anti-Weaponization Fund is tied to Trump’s personal IRS settlement, calling the association a “Democrat smear campaign.”
She states that Trump “agreed to dismiss his claim without receiving a penny himself,” framing it as a “generous gesture by the president.”
Miranda accuses Democrats of twisting these facts into “bogus allegations of corruption.”
- Quote:
  
  “Democrats have cynically twisted that generosity into bogus allegations of corruption.”
  — Miranda Devine, [03:53]

4. Senator Wyden’s Alleged Double Standards

Miranda accuses Wyden of “expecting us to ignore the skeletons in his own closet,” listing a series of controversies and questionable connections:
1. Epstein File Hypocrisy
  - Wyden has publicly hammered Trump over Epstein-related documents and insinuated connections, yet emails show Wyden’s son, Adam, sought investment backing from Epstein, leveraging Wyden’s Senate clout.
    - Quote:
      
      “I don't speak to my kids about their business activities.”
      — Sen. Ron Wyden (quoted by Miranda), [07:41]
    - Miranda sarcasm: “Yeah, we’ve heard that before from Wyden’s pal Joe Biden about his grifter son, Hunter.” [07:54]
2. Real Estate and Abuse Allegations
  - The Wyden family-owned Strand Building allegedly housed a tenant accused of decades of sexual abuse, a situation Miranda claims the family failed to address.
3. Stock Portfolio Performance
  - Wyden’s personal and family financial gains are scrutinized; Miranda suggests ethical concerns given his high returns while chairing the Finance Committee.
  - Quote:
    
    “Wyden's portfolio grew more than 120%, far exceeding the S&P 500's 25% gain that year. Maybe he's just lucky, but there's more smoke in his financial arrangements than in the bogus scandal he's been whipping up out of the DOJ Anti Weaponisation Fund.”
    — Miranda Devine, [09:16]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On DOJ Fund Precedent:

“The hysteria from Democrats like the hypocritical Senator Ron Wyden and allied media is absurd. It’s not unprecedented or corrupt or Trump’s personal slush fund, no matter how loudly they shriek.”
— Miranda Devine, [00:38]
On Democrat Involvement in Previous Settlements:

“Democrat administrations have used it for far more questionable payouts than the Trump administration’s proposal to compensate genuine victims of lawfare.”
— Miranda Devine, [01:18]
On Wyden’s Attacks:

“Wyden accused Trump of setting up the $1.7 billion slush fund for right wing political violence. It will be the most brazen theft of taxpayer dollars…in history.”
— Attribution to Ron Wyden, [04:02]
On Wyden’s Accountability:

“He poses as an accountability crusader, but has escaped scrutiny for controversies closer to home.”
— Miranda Devine, [06:27]
On Epstein Connection:

“An April 2016 appointment at Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan mansion between Wyden’s son Adam and the pervert Financier… according to emails released by the DOJ as part of the Epstein files dump.”
— Miranda Devine, [07:10]

Important Segment Timestamps

00:00–01:30
— Miranda introduces the episode and outlines the fund’s background and Democrat criticisms.
01:30–03:00
— Details about the Judgment Fund’s bipartisan use and Jason Foster’s analysis.
03:00–05:00
— Breaks down attacks by Senator Wyden, including his rhetoric and intervention in Trump’s IRS settlement.
06:20–09:30
— Scrutiny of Wyden’s family, business, and financial ties; comparison with his public persona.

Tone & Language

Miranda Devine’s tone is confrontational, pointedly critical of Democrats and specifically Senator Wyden, with frequent use of sharp language: “shriek,” “absurd,” “cynically twisted,” and “bogus allegations.” The narrative is delivered with rhetorical flair, direct quotations, and occasional sarcasm (“Yeah, we’ve heard that before from Wyden’s pal Joe Biden…”).

Summary Takeaways

This episode frames the uproar over the DOJ Anti-Weaponization Fund as manufactured outrage, exposing what Miranda Devine portrays as hypocrisy from top Democratic figures, especially Senator Ron Wyden. Using detail, anecdote, and quotations, Miranda argues that critics attacking Trump and his allies have ignored their own history of questionable actions and benefitted from similar government mechanisms. The discussion serves as both defense of the fund and as a critique of selective political outrage, inviting listeners to question prevailing media narratives.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
Foreign. Hello, it's Miranda. I'm back with a new mini episode of podforce one. This feature is a little more topical and relevant to my job as a columnist for the New York Post. Today's topic is about the hypocrisy of the Democrats and one Democrat senator in particular, Ron Wyden of Oregon, who is leading the dishonest charge against the DOJ's Anti Weaponization Fund. Senator Wyden poses as an accountability crusader while expecting us to ignore the skeletons in his own closet. The rollout of the DOJ's Anti Weaponisation Fund may have been botched, but the fund remains a good idea. And the hysteria from Democrats like the hypocritical Senator Ron Wyden and allied media is absurd. It's not unprecedented or corrupt or Trump's personal slush fund, no matter how loudly they shriek Streak. It's just a rebranding of an existing legal settlement fund that Congress authorised decades ago. As Washington lawyer and veteran Senate oversight investigator Jason Foster points out, administrations of both parties have repeatedly used the DOJ's judgment fund to settle legal claims against the federal government, and Democrat administrations have used it for far more questionable payouts than the Trump administration's proposal to compensate genuine victims of lawfare. The Biden DOJ paid off FBI anti Trump plotters Peter Strock, Lisa page and Andrew McCabe, for instance, along with numerous convicted criminals who alleged bad treatment by the bureau's Bureau of Prisons. By contrast, Trump allies and administration officials who suffered unjustly at the hands of Joe Biden's weaponised FBI and doj, like Michael Caputo, Christina Bobb and Jeff Clark, are genuinely WOR victims who should be made whole. Before the rebranding, General Michael Flynn received 1.25 million from the DOJ judgment fund to settle his civil lawsuit over the malicious Russiagate prosecution. People are acting as if an authority to settle cases in whatever amounts that the government wants is somehow new, says Foster, whose firm Empower, represents whistleblowers who have sued government entities like the FBI and and received settlements that include back pay, legal costs and often their jobs back. The pre existing judgment fund is a permanent, infinite appropriation that the Attorney General can use to settle any claim. DOJ can and has used it to pay damages resulting from lawfare and weaponisation. It can continue doing so in whatever amounts it wants unless Congress repeals or amends section 31 USC 1304. In other words, the anti weaponisation fund is simply a subset of the DOJ's existing Unlimited Judgment Fund and the 1.776 billion war chest, the DOJ trumpeted, is just a branding gimmick. The DOJ clumsily gave an opening to a Democrat smear campaign when it tied the anti weaponisation fund to Donald Trump's legal agreement with the IRS that he would drop his $10 billion lawsuit. IRS leak of his private tax information. In reality, it has nothing to do with Trump's settlement. The fund exists independently. Whatever its branding, agreeing to dismiss his claim without receiving a penny himself was simply a generous gesture by the president to try to ensure that those who were wronged in his name are compensated for their legal fees, medical bills and other costs. But Democrats have cynically twisted that generosity into bogus allegations of corruption. Nobody has been more ferocious or dishonest in his attacks on the anti weaponisation fund than Oregon Senator Ron Wyden. The ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee. Wyden accused Trump of setting up the $1.7 billion slush fund for right wing political violence. It will be the most brazen theft of taxpayer dollars by in history. End quote. Wyden has been in the Senate for 30 years. He knows that every word he said is a lie. Yet he has demanded investigations fired off spurious letters to the irs, treasury and the Treasury Inspector General, and even worked with the godfather of lawfare, Norm Ison, to persuade an Obama judge to reopen Trump's settlement deal with the irs. That sparked the whole saga. On Friday, Miami federal Judge Kathleen Williams reopened President Trump's $10 billion case against the IRS in response to court papers filed by an activist group of former federal judges assembled by icen, who urged her to investigate serious misconduct. What's she going to do? Force Trump to take the compensation? As Wyden prepares to excoriate Treasury Secretary Scott Besant over the fund in a Senate hearing this week, it's worth pointing out that the slippery senator is the last person who should be throwing stones. He poses as an accountability crusader, but has escaped scrutiny for controversies closer to home. Whether that home is in Oregon or New York, where he maintains a residence and his wife runs her business, is another question. For instance, Wyden has spent months hammering Trump and the DOJ over their handling of the Epstein files. Accusing them of trying to sweep evidence under the rug and alleging, without evidence, that he's found a money trail that leads to Trump. Yet he pretends he knows nothing about his own family connection to Trump. An April 2016 appointment at Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan mansion between Wyden's son Adam and the pervert Financier Adam Wyden sought investment backing from Epstein using his father's Senate positions and committee assignments as the law, according to emails released by the DOJ as part of the Epstein files dump. I don't speak to my kids about their business activities, is all Senator Wyden had to say when confronted by Fox News Digital. Yeah, we've heard that before from Wyden's pal Joe Biden about his grifter son, Hunter. Then there is the Strand Building in Manhattan, the Wyden family's prized possession, inherited by the senator's wife, Nancy bass Wyden. In 2018, voiceover coach Peter Roaf was accused of sexually abusing dozens of women over two decades in his studio, one floor above the Strand Bookstore. He was first arrested in 2004 for allegedly exposing himself in the building during a recording session, but remained a tenant of the Wieden family while the alleged sexual abuse continued for years. How did the Wydens miss those warning signs for so long? Meanwhile, Wieden's stock portfolio performs better than Nancy Pelosi's miraculous Midas pot. He has the distinction of being the third best stock performer in Congress with access to special information. In 2024, while he was Chairman of the Finance Committee, Wyden's portfolio grew more than 120%, far exceeding the S&P 500's 25% gain that year. Maybe he's just lucky, but there's more smoke in his financial arrangements than in the bogus scandal he's been whipping up out of the DOJ Anti Weaponisation Fund. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to come back on Wednesday for the next episode of Pod Force One with a special guest, the President of the United States himself, Donald Trump. He's been kind enough to carve out some time for us to sit down with him at the White House for an in depth interview. Let me know if there are any questions you would like answered by sending me an email at mdiviney Post or pinging me on X or Truth Social. Or you could just leave a comment on the Podforce One YouTube page.