Hi there, everyone. It is 4 o'clock in New York. I'm Eamon Mohi Dinh, in for Nicole Wallace.

The backlash to the nearly $1.8 billion fund that has been set up by the Trump administration

to potentially pay out Trump supporters and his allies is only growing today, as everyone from disgraced Congressman

George Santos to capital riders hope to cash in on it. The Washington Post reports that among

the people thinking about applying for these taxpayer-funded payouts, this guy on your screen,

Mark McCloskey, one half of the couple that gained notoriety for pointing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters back in 2020.

He says his reputation was damaged.

It also includes the former Congressman George Santos, who was serving time for wire fraud and identity theft before having his sentence commuted by Donald Trump.

CNN reports also that my pillow guy, you remember him,

election denier, Michael Endowell, well, he's hoping to cash in on it as well, and he wants to get

compensated. One person has already reportedly filed a claim, former Trump staffer Michael Caputo.

He's seeking $2.7 million for being investigated by the FBI's Russia probe.

Now, if you don't remember, U.S. intelligence concluded that Caputo worked with Russian agents

to produce a documentary about Ukraine and Trump's first impeachment.

But in Caputo's telling, he is a victim of so-called weaponization.

Now, the prospect of people like these, getting potentially

millions of your dollars, has enraged Democrats, and it has made quite a few Republicans in

Congress very uncomfortable. Outgoing Louisiana Republican Senator, Bill Cassidy tweeted out,

quote, people are concerned about paying their mortgage or rent,

affording groceries, and paying for gas. Not about putting together a $1.8 billion

fund for the president and his allies to pay whomever they wish with no legal precedent

or accountability. This is adding to our national debt. If there needs to be a settlement,

...