Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) torched President Donald Trump’s “absurd” $1.8 billion IRS fund following the president personally calling out the congressman in front of his fiancé, Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich.

Fitzpatrick joined CNN’s Michael Smerconish on Saturday to discuss his efforts to kill a $1.776 billion fund being set up as part of a deal for Trump to drop a lawsuit aimed at the IRS. The president sued the agency over a former official leaking his past tax returns. The fund would reportedly not pay the president directly, but be used to pay people who have been unfairly “targeted” by the Department of Justice.

Earlier this week, Trump called out Heinrich’s relationship to Fitzpatrick, warning the lawmaker through her that voting against him doesn’t work out well for many Republicans.

“Her husband votes against me all the time. Can you imagine?” Trump said this week while speaking to reporters and getting a question from Heinrich. “I don’t know what’s with him. You better ask him what’s with him. Her husband, she’s married to a certain congressman and he likes voting against Trump. You know what happens with that — Doesn’t work out well. I don’t know why he does.”

Fitzpatrick has argued that Trump’s fund is illegal as it is Congress’ job to allocate money. Critics have described the fund as a “slush fund” that could potentially be used to pay Trump allies, including January 6 Capitol rioters.

“It’s absurd. And that’s why we’re stopping it. That’s why we’re not going to let it happen. It’s absurd on its face. I think everybody that’s, you know, objective and viewing this through objective eyes knows that it’s absurd,” Fitzpatrick said on Saturday.

Smerconish argued Trump may have done Fitzpatrick a favor with his attacks as Fitzpatrick is from a district that is very centrist.

“It’s my job to represent my district. I know you’re very familiar with our district… very, very independent minded people, amazing people that live in that district who demand independent minded representatives. And I’m certainly one of those and I’m going to do my job,” the congressman said.

Check out the exchange below:

BRIAN FITZPATRICK: It’s absurd. And that’s why we’re stopping it. That’s why we’re not going to let it happen. It’s absurd on its face. I think everybody that’s, you know, objective and viewing this through objective eyes knows that it’s absurd. And it’s our job in Congress to not just sit by. We got to step forward and, you know, reclaim our authority under Article I, especially when it comes to appropriations. That’s chiefly the responsibility of the constitutional authority of Congress. We control the money that comes in and out, both through taxation and through appropriations. And if the American taxpayer dollar is being used in a way that the American taxpayer does not consent to and does not approve of, and this certainly falls squarely within that category, it’s our job to make sure that we ask the questions, identify what the source is, so we can nip this problem in the bud.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH: The president said something to your fiancé relative to your voting. I think it was at Andrews.

JACQUI HEINRICH [CLIP]: Do you have a call with Prime Minister Netanyahu?

DONALD TRUMP [CLIP]: Her husband votes against me all the time. Can you imagine? I don’t know what’s with him. You better ask him, what’s with him? Her husband is married to a certain congressman. He votes. He likes voting against Trump. You know what happens with that? It doesn’t work out well. I don’t know why he does.

SMERCONISH: What response do you have to what the president said to your fiancé? My reaction when I heard it was to say, I don’t think that the president understands your congressional district. Having been born and raised in that congressional district, people appreciate independence. He may have just done Brian Fitzpatrick a favor for the fall. That’s obviously occurred to you.

FITZPATRICK: You know, everybody is entitled to to speak their mind and offer their opinions. And I certainly respect everybody’s right to do that. It’s my job to represent my district. I know you’re very familiar with our district… very, very independent minded people, amazing people that live in that district who demand independent minded representatives. And I’m certainly one of those and I’m going to do my job. I’ve heard from and talked to many people about this issue. They’ve made clear where they stand and I’m going to reflect their voice on the floor of the House and through legislation that we are introducing. I think the bigger question is what impact will it have on the actions of members of Congress who are subject to all sorts of criticism from all different people?

Watch above via CNN.

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