Leavitt on federal grants pause: on organization only, DOGE & OMB found $37M to W.H.O & $50M to GAZA

Zeke Miller’s Question

“Caroline, just on a substantive question, yesterday, the White House Office of Management and Budget directed across the board freeze for individual assistance. We understand to federal grants. It’s caused a lot of confusion around the country.”

AP’s Zeke Miller:

• Substantive question framework
• OMB freeze mentioned
• Federal grants
• Confusion nationwide
• Press framework

“Head start providers among providers, services to homeless veterans, Medicaid provider states saying they’re having trouble accessing the portal.”

Specific concerns:

• Head Start (child care)
• Homeless veteran services
• Medicaid portal access
• Various providers
• Implementation confusion

Leavitt’s Response

“Well I think there’s only uncertainty in this room amongst the media. There’s no uncertainty in this building.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Only press confused
• White House clear
• Framework understood internally
• Media framing problem
• Clear framework otherwise

Not Blanket Pause

“This is not a blanket pause on federal assistance and grant programs from the Trump administration.”

The framework:

• Not blanket
• Targeted framework
• Specific programs
• Not universal
• Precision framework

Individual Assistance Continues

“Individual assistance, that includes, I’m not naming everything that’s included, but just to give you a few examples, social security benefits, Medicare benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits, assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause.”

The individual assistance framework:

• Social Security (retirees)
• Medicare (seniors healthcare)
• Food stamps (SNAP)
• Welfare benefits
• Direct individual
• Continues unchanged

“And I want to make that very clear to any Americans who are watching at home who may be a little bit confused about some of the media reporting.”

Public messaging:

• Clear to Americans
• Media reporting confusing
• Reassurance framework
• Direct to viewers

Continuing Individual Benefits

“This administration, if you are receiving individual assistance from the federal government, you will still continue to receive that.”

Reassurance framework:

• Benefits continue
• Direct assistance maintained
• No individual impact
• Targeted at programs

Taxpayer Steward Framework

“However, it is the responsibility of this President and this administration to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. That is something that President Trump campaigned on.”

The framework:

• Good stewards
• Taxpayer dollars
• Campaign promise
• Accountability framework

“That’s why he has launched DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, who is working alongside OMB. And that’s why OMB sent out this memo last night because the President signed an executive order directing OMB to do just this.”

The framework:

• DOGE established
• OMB coordination
• Executive order foundation
• Memo response to order
• Proper framework

Conflict Avoidance

“And the reason for this is to ensure that every penny that is going out the door is not conflicting with the executive orders and actions that this President has taken.”

The framework:

• Spending alignment
• Executive order consistency
• Every penny reviewed
• Policy alignment framework

What’s Paused

“So what does this pause mean? It means no more funding for illegal DEI programs.”

Specific programs paused:

• Illegal DEI programs
• Trump executive order against DEI
• Federal funding ended
• Consistency framework

“It means no more funding for the Green New Scam that has cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.”

Green New Deal funding:

• Tens of billions
• Trump termination
• Environmental waste
• Taxpayer cost
• Reform framework

“It means no more funding for transgenderism and wokeness across our federal bureaucracy and agencies.”

Gender ideology funding:

• Transgenderism programs
• Wokeness programs
• Federal bureaucracy
• Agencies
• Comprehensive framework

“No more funding for Green New Deal social engineering policies.”

Social engineering:

• Green New Deal related
• Behavior modification
• Cultural framework
• Policy framework

Restatement

“Again, people who are receiving individual assistance, you will continue to receive that. And President Trump is looking out for you by issuing this pause because he is being good steward of your taxpayer dollars.”

Reassurance repeated:

• Individual assistance continues
• Trump looking out
• Good stewardship
• Taxpayer advocate framework

Pause Length Question

“How long is this pause going to last? And how is the Trump administration recommending that organizations that rely on federal funding make payroll pay their rent in the meantime?”

The practical question:

• How long pause?
• Organizations affected
• Payroll needs
• Rent obligations
• Practical concerns

Temporary Pause

“It is a temporary pause in the Office of Management and Budget is reviewing the federal funding that has been going out the door. Again, not for individual assistance, but for all of these other programs that I mentioned.”

Framework:

• Temporary pause
• OMB reviewing
• Federal funding examined
• Not individual assistance
• Program alignment review

Line Open to Agencies

“I also spoke with the incoming director of OMB this morning and he told me to tell all of you that the line to his office is open for other federal government agencies across the board. And if they feel that programs are necessary and in line with the president’s agenda, then the Office of Management and Budget will review those policies.”

The framework:

• OMB director accessible
• Agency cooperation
• Programs reviewed
• Trump agenda alignment
• Process framework

Responsible Measure

“I think this is a very responsible measure. Again, the past four years we’ve seen the Biden administration spend money like drunken sailors.”

The framework:

• Responsible measure
• Biden spending “drunken sailors”
• Framework contrast
• Critical comparison

Biden Spending and Inflation

“It’s a big reason we’ve had an inflation crisis in this country and it’s incumbent upon this administration to make sure again that every penny is being accounted for honestly.”

The framework:

• Biden spending → inflation
• Causation claimed
• Trump accountability
• Every penny counted

Why Little Notice

“Why oppose this pause with so little notice? Why not give organizations more time to plan for the fact that they are about to lose in some cases really crucial federal funding?”

The practical concern:

• Little notice
• Planning difficulty
• Organizations affected
• Crucial funding loss
• Implementation challenges

Executive Order Notice

“There was for a period of time. There was notice. It was the executive order that the president signed.”

Framework:

• Notice provided
• Executive order
• Direction clear
• Planning time existed
• Not surprise

“There’s also a freeze on hiring as you know of a regulatory freeze and there’s also a freeze on foreign aid.”

Additional freezes:

• Hiring freeze
• Regulatory freeze
• Foreign aid freeze
• Context framework

Administration Philosophy

“And this is again incredibly important to ensure that this administration is taking into consideration how hard the American people are working. And their tax dollars actually matter to this administration.”

Framework:

• American workers considered
• Tax dollars matter
• Administration values
• Not wasteful
• Accountable

DOGE OMB Findings

“You know just during this pause DOGE and OMB have actually found that there was 37 million dollars that was about to go out the door to the World Health Organization, which is an organization as you all know that President Trump with the swipe of his pen in that executive order is no longer wants the United States to be a part of.”

The first finding:

• $37 million to WHO
• Trump withdrew from WHO
• Executive order already signed
• Not aligned with policy
• Would have gone

WHO Framework

WHO withdrawal:

• Executive order Day 1
• One-year withdrawal process
• $37M payment being stopped
• Consistent with executive order
• Policy alignment

Condoms in Gaza

“DOGE and OMB also found that there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza. That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money.”

The second finding:

• $50 million
• Condoms
• Gaza Strip
• Preposterous waste
• Ridiculous framework

Condom Framework

The USAID framework:

• Family planning programs
• Various countries
• Contraception distribution
• $50 million to Gaza
• Questionable priority

The controversy:

• Hamas controlled territory
• War zone
• Priorities questioned
• Waste framework
• Trump targeting

Preposterous Waste

“So that’s what this pause is focused on being good stewards of tax dollars.”

The framework:

• Preposterous waste specifically
• Good stewardship
• Taxpayer priority
• Policy review
• Rational spending

DEI Programs Framework

The DEI funding framework:

• Hundreds of millions annually
• Across agencies
• Various programs
• Cultural framework
• Now ending

Green New Deal Framework

Biden IRA climate provisions:

• $369 billion framework
• EV subsidies
• Renewable energy
• Various programs
• Trump targeting

Transgender Funding

Federal transgender funding:

• Research grants
• Programs
• International work
• Various agencies
• Now reviewed

The OMB Memo Controversy

The memo caused confusion:

• Vague framing initially
• Scope unclear
• Implementation varied
• Court challenges
• Subsequent clarification

Courts intervened:

• Federal judge blocked
• Confusion continued
• Legal framework
• Administration responded
• Eventually clarified

Individual Assistance Framework

The individual assistance that continues:

• Social Security: 70+ million recipients
• Medicare: 65+ million beneficiaries
• SNAP: 40+ million recipients
• Welfare: various programs
• Veterans benefits
• Direct assistance

None affected — only grants to organizations for specific ideological programs.

Biden Spending Framework

The “drunken sailors” framework:

• COVID relief massive
• Inflation Reduction Act
• CHIPS Act
• Infrastructure law
• Various spending
• $6+ trillion over 4 years

The connection to inflation:

• Economists debate
• Demand surge
• Supply chain strain
• Various factors
• Policy influence real

Significance

Leavitt’s clarification captured:

1. Individual assistance continues: Not blanket pause
2. DEI/Green/Trans programs paused: Ideological framework
3. Specific waste found: $37M WHO, $50M Gaza condoms
4. Temporary pause: OMB reviewing
5. Taxpayer stewardship: Framework

The framework distinguishes legitimate assistance (individual) from ideological programs (paused). Most Americans not affected; progressive programs affected.

The specific findings — $37M WHO, $50M condoms Gaza — provide concrete examples. Not abstract policy but specific waste. Easy to communicate to public.

The “drunken sailors” framework captures Trump administration’s Biden criticism. Connect spending to inflation, frame reform as responsible, contrast administrations.

The temporary pause framework allows review without ending programs entirely. OMB review, agency cooperation, Trump agenda alignment. Structured rather than chaotic.

Key Takeaways

• Leavitt on “confusion”: “Well I think there’s only uncertainty in this room amongst the media. There’s no uncertainty in this building.”
• Leavitt on individual assistance: “Individual assistance, that includes … social security benefits, Medicare benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits, assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause.”
• Leavitt on what’s paused: “It means no more funding for illegal DEI programs … no more funding for the Green New Scam that has cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars … no more funding for transgenderism and wokeness across our federal bureaucracy and agencies.”
• Leavitt on findings: “DOGE and OMB have actually found that there was 37 million dollars that was about to go out the door to the World Health Organization … DOGE and OMB also found that there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza. That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money.”
• Leavitt on Biden framework: “The past four years we’ve seen the Biden administration spend money like drunken sailors. It’s a big reason we’ve had an inflation crisis in this country.”