Leavitt: taxpayer $8M subsidizing subscriptions to Politico; FAKE OUTRAGE ending USAID funding

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered major news during a briefing, announcing taxpayer funds to media outlet Politico would end while defending DOGE and highlighting Trump priorities. Leavitt on Politico subscriptions: “I can confirm that the more than eight million taxpayer dollars that have gone to essentially subsidizing subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayers dime will no longer be happening. The DOGE team is working on canceling those payments now.” Leavitt framed the DOGE effort: “This is a whole-of-government effort to ensure that we are going line by line when it comes to the federal government’s books. And this president and his team are making decisions across the board on do these receipts serve the interests of the American people.” Leavitt cited specific USAID programs: “$2 million for sex changes in Guatemala, $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt, $20 million on a new Sesame Street show in Iraq, $4.5 million to combat disinformation in Kazakhstan.” On Democrat outrage: “Democrats are outraged that the American people want to be, they want their taxpayers going to good uses, not stuff like this. But then they’re very quiet about the fact that there are still North Carolinians and people in California who have lost everything, and in the last four years this federal government did nothing to help them.” On military recruitment: “When they see a leader like that and a leader like President Trump who is committed to peace through strength, that’s very inspiring, and we look forward to seeing those recruitment numbers and retention numbers skyrocketing over the next four years.” Leavitt on the executive order: “President Trump pledged to restore common sense to our country, and he is continuing to deliver on that with an executive order that he will sign later today … keeping men out of women’s sports … Gender, ideology, and sanity is over.”

Politico Subscriptions Ended

“So upon coming out here to the briefing room, I was made aware of the funding from USAID to media outlets, including Politico, who I know has a seat in this room.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Just learned
• USAID funding
• Media outlets
• Politico specifically
• Seat in room

The Politico framework:

• DC-based political publication
• Pro subscriptions expensive
• Various platforms
• Federal subscribers
• Political framework

“And I can confirm that the more than eight million taxpayer dollars that have gone to essentially subsidizing subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayers dime will no longer be happening.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• $8 million+ confirmed
• Subsidizing subscriptions
• American taxpayers dime
• No longer happening
• Decisive framework

The Politico Pro framework:

• Premium content
• Policy-focused
• Federal agencies buying
• Expensive subscriptions
• Various departments

DOGE Team Working

“The DOGE team is working on canceling those payments now.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• DOGE team active
• Canceling payments
• Now framework
• Immediate action
• Musk framework

Whole of Government

“Again, this is a whole-of-government effort to ensure that we are going line by line when it comes to the federal government’s books.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Whole-of-government
• Line-by-line framework
• Federal books
• Comprehensive framework
• Review exhaustive

The framework:

• Not single agency
• Comprehensive review
• Budget analysis
• Program evaluation
• Systematic framework

Decisions Across Board

“And this president and his team are making decisions across the board on do these receipts serve the interests of the American people.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• President and team
• Decisions across board
• Receipts framework
• American people interests
• Standard framework

“Is this a good use of the American taxpayers’ money?”

The test framework:

• Good use standard
• Taxpayer money
• Interest standard
• Policy framework
• Accountability

Significant Savings

“If it is not, that funding will no longer be sent abroad, and American taxpayers will see significant savings because of that effort.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Funding stopped
• No longer abroad
• Significant savings
• Taxpayer benefit
• Effort framework

The savings framework:

• Measurable savings
• American taxpayer return
• Direct benefit
• Political framework
• Fiscal framework

Specific USAID Examples

“And I would just say a strong message to Democrats who are out there pretending to be outraged about the long list of crap that this administration is cutting federal waste and funding, like $2 million for sex changes in Guatemala, $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt, $20 million on a new Sesame Street show in Iraq, $4.5 million to combat disinformation in Kazakhstan.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Strong message Democrats
• Pretending outrage
• Long list crap framework
• Federal waste cutting
• Specific examples

The specific examples:

• $2M sex changes Guatemala
• $6M tourism Egypt
• $20M Sesame Street Iraq
• $4.5M disinformation Kazakhstan
• Various others

Each framework:

• Taxpayer money foreign
• Questionable priorities
• Specific dollar amounts
• Various programs
• Political framework

Can Go On

“I could go on and on, and I’m happy to provide this list to every single one of you.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• More examples
• Go on and on
• List provided
• Every reporter
• Transparency framework

The framework:

• More examples available
• Transparency offered
• Media access
• Documentation ready
• Political framework

Democrats Outraged

“Democrats are outraged that the American people want to be, they want their taxpayers going to good uses, not stuff like this.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Democrats outraged
• At reform efforts
• Americans want good uses
• Not this stuff
• Framework contrast

Abandoned North Carolinians

“But then they’re very quiet about the fact that there are still North Carolinians and people in California who have lost everything, and in the last four years this federal government did nothing to help them.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Democrats very quiet
• North Carolinians lost everything
• California people lost everything
• Federal government did nothing
• Biden administration framework

The North Carolina context:

• Hurricane Helene aftermath
• Fall 2024 devastation
• Federal response criticized
• Recovery slow
• Political framework

The California context:

• LA wildfires January 2025
• Water infrastructure failures
• Recovery beginning
• Federal response framework
• Political framework

Americans First

“This president will continue to put Americans first, and I think the successes of this week so far speak to that, and it’s only Wednesday.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Americans first
• Continue framework
• Week successes
• Only Wednesday
• Weekly framework

Hegseth Inspiring

“And young men and women who are honorably signing up to serve in our nation’s military see somebody like Pete Hegseth, the new Secretary of Defense, who is a proven warfighter who risked his life in battle for this country, who understands what it means to deploy and to defend the Constitution and your nation abroad and to put your life on the line.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Young men and women
• Honorably signing up
• Pete Hegseth model
• Proven warfighter
• Risked life in battle
• Constitution defender
• Nation abroad

Pete Hegseth:

• Former Army officer
• Iraq/Afghanistan combat
• Fox News host
• Secretary of Defense
• Combat veteran

Peace Through Strength

“When they see a leader like that and a leader like President Trump who is committed to peace through strength, that’s very inspiring, and we look forward to seeing those recruitment numbers and retention numbers skyrocketing over the next four years.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Trump leadership
• Peace through strength
• Very inspiring
• Recruitment skyrocketing
• Retention skyrocketing
• Four years

The recruitment framework:

• Recent recruiting crisis
• Various branches
• Biden era struggles
• Standards concerns
• Political framework

Hegseth Committed

“And I know Pete Hegseth is committed to increasing recruitment at all branches of the military. I would defer you to the Department of Defense on it.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Hegseth committed
• Increasing recruitment
• All branches
• DOD deferral
• Operations framework

Common Sense Restored

“President Trump pledged to restore common sense to our country, and he is continuing to deliver on that with an executive order that he will sign later today.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Common sense pledge
• Country framework
• Continuing delivery
• Executive order today
• Afternoon framework

Title IX EO Details

“The president will be signing an executive order keeping men out of women’s sports to defend the safety of athletes, protect competitive integrity, and uphold the promise of Title IX.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Men out women’s sports
• Safety of athletes
• Competitive integrity
• Title IX promise
• Comprehensive goals

Disgusting Betrayal

“This common sense action from President Trump ends the disgusting betrayal of women and girls by the previous administration who for years catered to radical activists who wanted biological males to be treated as women and workplace showers, competitive sports, prisons, and even rape shelters.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Common sense
• Disgusting betrayal
• Women and girls
• Previous administration
• Radical activists
• Biological males treated women
• Workplace showers
• Competitive sports
• Prisons
• Rape shelters

The frameworks covered:

• Workplace environments
• Sports competition
• Prison housing
• Domestic violence shelters
• Various spaces

Gender Ideology Over

“Gender, ideology, and sanity is over.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Gender ideology
• Sanity restored
• Framework over
• Declaration framework
• Cultural shift

The framework:

• Common sense return
• Political statement
• Policy declaration
• Cultural shift
• Trump framework

USAID Fraud Examples Detailed

The specific USAID programs cited:

$2 million Guatemala sex changes:

• LGBTQ health programs
• Political context
• Foreign aid
• Controversial framework
• Question framework

$6 million Egypt tourism:

• Tourism promotion
• Economic development
• Questionable priority
• Foreign aid
• Political framework

$20 million Sesame Street Iraq:

• Children’s programming
• Educational framework
• Cultural framework
• Massive investment
• Question framework

$4.5 million Kazakhstan disinformation:

• Media literacy
• Information warfare
• Central Asia focus
• Counter-Russia framework
• Political framework

Politico Federal Subscriptions

The Politico Pro framework:

Product:

• Premium content
• Policy-focused
• Real-time updates
• Expensive tier
• Subscriber-only

Subscribers:

• Federal agencies various
• Congressional offices
• Law firms
• Lobbyists
• Corporate

Pricing framework:

• $10,000+ annually
• Multiple subscribers
• Federal framework significant
• Various accounts
• Accumulated cost

The $8M aggregation:

• Multiple agencies
• Various subscriptions
• Years of accumulation
• Federal expenditure
• Public money

North Carolina-California Framework

The contrast framework:

North Carolina:

• Hurricane Helene September 2024
• Massive destruction
• Slow federal response
• Trump criticism
• Ongoing recovery

California:

• Los Angeles wildfires January 2025
• Palisades, Eaton fires
• Water infrastructure failures
• Federal-state tension
• Continuing recovery

Democrat focus:

• Foreign programs (Leavitt framework)
• Domestic neglect alleged
• Priority misalignment
• Political framework
• Framework critique

Recruitment Framework

The military recruitment context:

Recent crisis:

• Army missing targets
• Navy challenges
• Air Force concerns
• Marine Corps stable
• Various issues

Causes cited:

• Cultural shift
• DEI programs
• Standards changes
• Recruiting practices
• Political framework

Trump approach:

• Hegseth leadership
• Standards restoration
• Merit framework
• Cultural reset
• Framework restoration

Significance

The briefing captured:

1. Politico $8M ended: Taxpayer subscription subsidy
2. DOGE canceling payments: Active reform
3. Whole of government: Line-by-line review
4. USAID specific examples: Sex changes, tourism, Sesame Street, disinformation
5. Democrat outrage critique: Fake outrage framework
6. NC-CA neglected: Priorities misaligned
7. Hegseth recruitment: Inspiring framework
8. Title IX EO: Common sense restoration

The Politico $8M revelation generated significant framework. Federal subsidy of political publication — conflict of interest framework, taxpayer subsidy media.

The USAID specific examples continued waste documentation pattern. Specific dollar amounts, specific countries, specific programs — concrete framework over abstract waste.

The Democrat outrage critique positioned political dynamics. Not substantive disagreement but selective outrage — political framework.

The NC-CA neglect framework connected foreign spending to domestic neglect. Priority misalignment framework — political strong.

Key Takeaways

• Leavitt on Politico: “I can confirm that the more than eight million taxpayer dollars that have gone to essentially subsidizing subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayers dime will no longer be happening. The DOGE team is working on canceling those payments now. This is a whole-of-government effort to ensure that we are going line by line when it comes to the federal government’s books.”
• Leavitt on USAID examples: “I would just say a strong message to Democrats who are out there pretending to be outraged about the long list of crap that this administration is cutting federal waste and funding, like $2 million for sex changes in Guatemala, $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt, $20 million on a new Sesame Street show in Iraq, $4.5 million to combat disinformation in Kazakhstan.”
• Leavitt on Democrat outrage: “Democrats are outraged that the American people want to be, they want their taxpayers going to good uses, not stuff like this. But then they’re very quiet about the fact that there are still North Carolinians and people in California who have lost everything, and in the last four years this federal government did nothing to help them.”
• Leavitt on recruitment: “When young men and women who are honorably signing up to serve in our nation’s military see somebody like Pete Hegseth, the new Secretary of Defense, who is a proven warfighter who risked his life in battle for this country — that’s very inspiring, and we look forward to seeing those recruitment numbers and retention numbers skyrocketing over the next four years.”
• Leavitt on executive order: “President Trump pledged to restore common sense to our country, and he is continuing to deliver on that with an executive order that he will sign later today keeping men out of women’s sports. This common sense action from President Trump ends the disgusting betrayal of women and girls by the previous administration who for years catered to radical activists who wanted biological males to be treated as women. Gender, ideology, and sanity is over.”