Trump ‘slush fund’ echoes scorned 19th-century spoils system, academics say

President Donald Trump's $1.776 billion 'anti-weaponization fund' has been criticized as a slush fund, drawing comparisons to the 19th-century spoils system. The fund, created by the Department of Justice in May 2026, aims to pay allies who claim they were wronged by past administrations, echoing practices where government jobs were distributed to political supporters.