Republican Senator Thom Tillis intensified his criticism against the new compensation fund promoted by the Department of Justice (DOJ), ensuring that the initiative represents “a display of political insensitivity” and could benefit people convicted of attacking police officers during the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

During an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Tillis called the so-called Anti-Militarization Fund "absolutely stupid" and said the federal government should not allocate taxpayer money to those who participated in violence.

“I call it a fund for criminals,” declared the Republican legislator, who will leave the Senate at the end of his term. "It doesn't make sense. Whoever designed this should be fired."

The fund, recently announced by the Department of Justice, includes up to $1.776 billion to compensate people who claim to have been victims of political persecution or misuse of federal agencies during the Joe Biden administration.

The measure arose as part of a legal agreement related to the lawsuit filed by Trump against the IRS for the leak of tax returns linked to the president and the Trump Organization.

Bipartisan criticism mounts in Washington

The proposal has caused rejection among both Republicans and Democrats. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Tom Suozzi introduced a legislative initiative to completely eliminate the fund.

In a joint interview on ABC's "This Week," Fitzpatrick said that several Republicans have expressed support for the project, although there is still no clarity on whether there will be enough votes to block the program in the House of Representatives.

Suozzi went further and argued that Congress must act to stop what he called an abuse of executive power.

“Everyone knows this is wrong,” the Democratic lawmaker said, even citing previous criticism from Senator Mitch McConnell, who described the fund as “morally wrong.”

The main concerns revolve around the possibility that people convicted of attacks against police officers during the attack on the Capitol could request compensation financed with federal resources.

Tillis said he could support aid for citizens acquitted or unfairly affected by federal investigations, but insisted that those who admitted or were found guilty of violence should not receive compensation.

"If someone was wrongfully arrested and then found not guilty, help them. Give them their money back," the senator said. “But this is terrible politics and it comes at the worst possible time.”

Tillis also questions Trump's Iran strategy

The North Carolina Republican also criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump's handling of negotiations with Iran.

The president announced on Saturday that Washington would be close to reaching a new agreement with Tehran through the mediation of Middle Eastern countries. However, Tillis questioned whether the White House would consider allowing Iran to maintain limited nuclear capabilities.

"Just a few weeks ago we were told that Iran's defenses had been destroyed and that it was a matter of time before it eliminated its nuclear capability," he said. "Now it looks like we might be able to accept that material staying in Iran. What's the point of that?"

The senator also maintained that the Republican administration is diverting from priority issues for voters, such as inflation, the housing crisis and international security against Russia.

“This whole thing has become a distraction,” Tillis concluded, in some of the harshest public criticism Trump has faced from within his own party in recent weeks.