Following the money
President Trump placed a pause on grants and loans that was scheduled to take effect at 5 p.m. EST, one day after agencies were informed of the decision. It was to try and account for where the money was going and to prevent any of it from going to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism and Green New Deal social engineering.
The administration said it excluded some major services — Social Security, Medicare and food stamps, for instance — from the freeze. “Any payment required by law to be paid will be paid without interruption or delay,” the Office of Management and Budget said. Moments before it was set to go into effect, a federal judge on the DC Court appointed only 1 year ago by Joe Biden, suspended the freeze claiming that there would be a ruling on it next week.
Then amid all of the left's outrage over the pause came the White House first press conference:
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
When I first saw the young 27-year-old woman with the wholesome appearance, wearing the crucifix, I momentarily thought I was a boy again growing up in Irish Boston. She made an impressive debut yesterday, didn't she? The room was packed with reporters eager to ask questions after 4 years of not getting answers. This time they were better with their questions which were more about policies than ideology. She gave them about 50 minutes and held her own throughout.
In other news:
The Senate confirmed Sean Duffy a former Wisconsin congressman, as secretary of transportation.
Pete Hegseth removed Gen. Mark Milley’s security clearance & security detail.
The Trump administration revoked the deportation protections Joe Biden had granted to more than 600,000 Venezuelans in the U.S.
Oklahoma education leaders approved a plan that would require public schools to request proof of a child's immigration status.
President Trump is set to sign the Laken Riley Act.
Senate Democrats blocked a bill to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court. The bill, which the House passed, is a rebuke of the court’s decision to charge Israeli leaders with war crimes.
The cable news anchor and activist Jim Acosta is leaving CNN after his show was moved to midnight.
American children’s reading skills have continued to decline according to federal test scores.
Kansas is dealing with a major Tuberculosis outbreak. Where did it come from?
Senate hearings begin today for Robert F Kennedy Jr.
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Wow! White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt looks amazingly like actress Rosamund Pike, who played Jane Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (2005).
Let me second the Wow!
So, it's about accountability. Something the last administration never had. No wonder so many started another round of tantrums. They could be losing their funding.
I thought the lying about 50 million dollars worth of condoms going to Gaza was the most impressive lie she told.
It's not like she is anywhere close to the number of lies from her predecessor.
She was great. She can answer questions without reading from a binder.
Lying doesnt require reading.
KJP still did both.
AND not throw a tantrum when somebody goes off script.
Can you prove it's a lie? this is from someone at USAID
And there is this,
Here is both USAID and international planned parenthood basically confirming it, so you obviously have evidence right?
So, it has already been done before.
And the American people knew nothing about it. Interesting.
Are you sure it was a lie. It appears to be something probably buried in one of those massive spending bills.
Here is what I found:
"In her first-ever briefing Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the OMB 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. So that's what this pause is focused on, being good stewards of tax dollars," Leavitt told reporters. She said DOGE and OMB also found $37 million was about to be sent to the WHO before Trump's executive order breaking ties with the global health body.
Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department on Tuesday seeking additional information and was later referred to an X thread by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
Bruce listed several examples of how the pause in foreign assistance has allowed the State Department to prevent "unjustified and non-emergency" spending, including on condoms. The funding freeze "prevented $102 million in unjustified funding to a contractor in Gaza, including money for contraception," the spokesperson said.
"Our test is simple: Does [it] make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous? Some aid programs fail this test. Others may have merit, but are not emergency spending and can be reviewed during the 90-day pause," Bruce wrote."
Rubio's foreign aid freeze applies to millions in funding for 'condoms in Gaza' | Fox News
www.mediaite.com /news/report-doesnt-show-50-mil-condoms-like-trump-spox-claimed-but-does-show-trump-shipped-condoms-worldwide/
Report Debunks Trump-Karoline Leavitt $50 M Gaza Condoms
Tommy Christopher 4-5 minutes 1/29/2025
Report Doesn’t Show $50M For Condoms Like Trump Spox Claimed — But Does Show Trump Shipped Condoms Worldwide
Tommy Christopher Jan 29th, 2025, 8:49 am
A government report doesn’t back up Trump White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s claim that $50 million worth of condoms were being shipped to Gaza — but it does show that even the first Trump administration shipped $40 million worth of condoms in just one year.
During Tuesday’s White House press briefing , Leavitt’s first, President Donald Trump’s spending freeze was a dominant topic. In one exchange, Leavitt cited a wild statistic to justify the move:
But despite fierce amplification of this facially preposterous claim by conservative media, data from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) tells a different story — one in which Leavitt’s claim can’t possibly be true.
The Guardian flagged the report , which shows “not a penny” of such aid going to Gaza — and shows Leavitt’s figure nearly equaling the total amount of contraceptive shipments worldwide:
The paper also notes that Trump’s first administration spent over $40 million shipping condoms worldwide in 2019 alone.
Former Biden deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs Andrew Miller pushed back on the claim as well, telling The Times of Israel “It’s possible that $50 million is put aside for sexual health or something of that nature, which would include gynecology and many other services, but definitely not condoms alone.”
The Trump administration has pointed to a claim by State Dept. spokesperson and former Fox News personality Tammy Bruce that Trump “Prevented $102 million in unjustified funding to a contractor in Gaza, including money for contraception.”
Bruce did not provide documentation of the claim, which does not substantiate Leavitt’s claim of “$50 million for condoms” in any case.
If and when it is provided will you and others apologize?
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It kills me that the people that were good with the Biden Administration lying to the public have their hair on fire making unproven claims about others lying to the public.
removed for context
We are still not hearing much yet on the claim, but why would anyone be against the president accounting for what money is being spent on.
How many big bills were loaded with spending that few Americans knew anything about?
I will wait to hear from them
[✘]
Sounds to me like liberals are trying to reduce the Muslim and black populations in Gaza and Africa by giving free condoms.
As Bill Maher once said "White liberals have to start listening to me when I tell them you can't be more offended than the victim"
There is zero chance of that happening, just like their claims trump and Hegseth killed the training that included the Tuskegee airman.
Or the story that ICE went into a Chicago school when it was actually the secret service
Maybe while looking for the 2 MAGA hat wearing white guys wandering around Chicago looking to assault Gay African American men in sub-freezing temperatures, they might find their integrity?
The RFK Jr hearing is now underway
BUSTED! Reporters already have Prewritten Negative headlines for RFK Jr before Confirmation Hearing today:
MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) / X
Ah yes, MJTruthUltra, the fella whose lifework appears to be about cleansing Michael Jackson. He's goin' to be my source too!
They are ripping Bobby Kennedy to shreds. Enjoy, MAGA.
He is stammering in panic.
John, I happen to think that he may be the second one to be voted down.
He is right about the food Americans are eating. I'm not sure about anything else.
The Senate democrats are once again showing the world why the people despise them.
They are debating somebody they should be questioning.
I only wish they had been so concerned about Dr Fauci.
Kennedys views are coming back to haunt him. He has publicly pontificated on various health matters for years, often basing his beliefs on something he read on some crank website.
He'll probably get through because trump will threaten any republican who doesnt vote him. That is the America you voted for. A virtual dictatorship.
I don't know if Trump will do that. You see, John there is always a method to what you see as Trump's madness. He nominated RFK Jr for various reasons. Was that one a sincere desire to get RFK Jr in charge of health care or first & foremost to get Americans thinking about the people who presided over health care during the covid epidemic?
Here is an example: Trump mentioned a desire to incorporate Greenland into the US citing its strategic value. Since then, the American people began thinking about that. I believe many Americans did not know:
1) That many experts believed that Greenland was important to US security.
2) That a small European country: Denmark still had a colony in this day and age and that colony was the size of a continent.
3) That Greenland is a lot closer to Boston than Copenhagen.
4) That about 50,000 people live in Greenland and may want to break from Denmark.
5) Finally, even Denmark's leader is taking the idea seriously.
All that came from something Trump through out there and the media went wild with.
Nice deflection.
By the way a new poll taken by Danish media shows 85% of Greenlanders dont want to be taken over by America.
That is ok John. Would they be agreeable to a military treaty with the US?
Nobody does but that won't stop certain people from claiming this unfounded opinion as absolute fact. Like in 7.1.
There are a couple of people who know what Trump is thinking.
One works at the NYTimes. The other is a member.
There are a few members.
Of course it is, everyone knows mercator projections are not just the musings of Flatlanders. Just look at these comparisons:
As to Mette Frederiksen taking the proposal seriously, let's just say that Mette has studied Robert Greene's 'The 48 Laws of Power' .
Very good, now maybe she can pass it along to Laurentino Cortizo.
I am equally sure Mette, unlike you apparently, is aware Cortizo is no longer Panama's head.
I have a hunch that you didn't either.
You should take better care of your stoop'd back and find better sources to straighten it.
Looks to me like he is handing democrats their asses. I think he has been clear on his positions even when they tried to get gotcha questions and cut him off when he is proving them wrong.
LOL, oh my god.
The comedy we see here.
7.1 was pretty funny.
Yes, John...
your posts are the gold standard
Now we have Whitehouse pontificating his 5 minutes, telling Kennedy he will not ask questions just blabber for 5 minutes.
One of the most insane members of congress.
I saw it was 7 minutes. Whitehouse spoke for seven straight minutes without letting Kennedy speak. What's the point?
Who pays for "Medicare Expansion?"
“If you like a McDonald’s cheeseburger, a Diet Coke - which my boss (Donald Trump) loves - you should be able to get them... But you should know what impact are on your health. ” ... RFK Jr
It is astonishing that anyone could watch this hearing and not conclude that Kennedy is being destroyed. He'll get through though, maybe, because the Republican members are afraid of MAGA.
Kennedy said a few minutes ago that Trump asked him to determine the safety of Mifepristone, the abortion drug. A Democratic senator held up a large stack of papers saying these are 40 studies showing the safety of Mifepristone. We have 40 studies by professionals, but we need another one (in order to find a pseudo scientific reason to ban it) ?
If Trump asks him to study if Bic Macs are a super food Kennedy will do it.
Given Hegseth got through, it is clear that the Senate has bowed to Trump.
Forget about checks and balances when Congress is replete with wimps lacking integrity.
One thing Kennedy is against is the shit being put into American food. His statement is clear. He wants warnings placed on fast food.
Are you against that?
Once the Senate went along with this:
anyone became eligible for confirmation.
So you disregard all of her qualifications and experience and dismiss her based on being transgender?
Good God.
Did you think maybe that they think Hegseth will perform well in his position and your fellow democrats just wanted to throw a hissy fit because Truuuuuuuuuuuuump?
No different than what they are doing with other nominees.
Biden chose her/him for qualifications?
I think you know better.
And yet again, you clearly ignore all of her qualifications and experience because the only thing that matters to you is that she transgendered.
It was the only thing that mattered to Biden and everyone knows it.
He was chosen because he checked a box
He was hired for being "transgender".
And worse, you ignore her qualifications and experience because she is transgender yet accept Hegseth in spite of his twice failing as the executive of easy-to-run organizations coupled with his drinking, moral issues and ethical issues. And on top of that, his profound lack of experience. Hegseth is a terrible choice to lead the DoD but you ignore all of that and just accept him simply because Trump picked him.
To the contrary, I believe the problem lies with you ignoring the fact of why Biden chose her.
Don't you remember the hearings:
You have been deflecting to Biden because you cannot provide any meaningful rebuttal to my observation that you are ignoring her experience and credentials and strictly focusing on her being transgender.
You will not admit this ... but there is no denying it based on your comments.
Not at all. I am calling you out for once again ignoring facts. She/he was chosen because of her transgender status, not despite it.
A fine example of your utter bullshit claim of ignoring facts. You are right here ignoring the facts of her qualifications and attempting to deflect to Biden (failing).
My refusal to allow you to deflect is not ignoring facts, it is holding you to the question at hand. This is not a person whose only 'qualification' is that she is trans; this individual has clear qualifications.
You continue to ignore those facts while (laughably) trying to claim that I am the one ignoring facts. Pathetic.
That seems to be your calling.
Yeah, you have nothing to offer other than demonstrably false claims.
The right wingers on this site have little but deflection and obsession about DEI.
Really?
Let me know when you're ready to concede that the only time that Trump ever used the word revenge it was simply to say that his only revenge would be success as a President.
We hold the FACTS.
I have never made any comment about Trump's specific use of the word 'revenge'. More deflection from you.
Your ridiculous 'ignore facts' allegation is obviously nothing more than 'let me deflect!!'.
That is about as ridiculous as claiming "I never lie".
Comments like that simply cause people to roll their eyes. Entirely counterproductive.
Do you think this one was chosen based only on qualifications?
Remember, the people arguing against him are the very people who need to have everything done FOR them. God forbid they take initiative and do for themselves.
In case anyone is interested Google maps have been updated:
Ummm... No.
Link
My pleasure.
Does CNN suit you?
Google is complying with President Donald Trump’s executive action that renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Soon, the name change will appear on Google Maps.
Google Maps will change the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America | CNN Business
Only on those within US borders and to placate the exceptional hubrism of manifest destiny and wet knickers.
Does that include the protection provided to Canada by the US?
They haven't done so yet. From your source - (emphasis mine)
True enough, Grenada was about to attack Baffin Island and the baffled Regan saved us ... /s
What happened to your question?
Do you support this gratuitous and profoundly arrogant abuse of presidential power?
The USA has no right to change this name so no PotUS has a right.
Why not?
The left loves changing names. Didn't fucking Obama change the name Mt McKinley?
Deflecting again.
Obama changed Mt McKinley because a request to make that change (back to its historically original name) had been sitting pending approval since 1975. It was not some gratuitous personal whim like Trump's. Further, Obama (and Trump) both can make this change as long as their Secretary of the Interior agrees.
No PotUS can change the name of the Gulf of Mexico. This is a pointless move by an arrogant asshole. One who you continue to defend no matter what.
Wrong again. Obama deeply resented America.
Anything Obama did Trump should also be able to do.
Oh fuck, just stop with this nonsense.
Read what I wrote Vic. Good grief man, this is ridiculous:
Obama could not, however, change the name of the Gulf of Mexico and neither can Trump.
There is 1700 miles on the American side and about the same on the Mexican side. There can be arguments for either name.
Trump just renamed it. Case closed.
Of course it is OK when they do it. They can rationalize a bullshit reason why it is OK when they do it.
What has Columbus Day been changed to?
Or the schools near San Francisco or military bases that underwent name changes on a whim.
All OK in their minds.
And thank God they got rid of all those statues people walked by for years not caring about. They fixed racism.
Nothing. Columbus Day still exists.
Fort Bragg, NC was pathetically renamed "Fort Liberty". Meanwhile, there is a Fort Bragg, CA (also named after Braxton Bragg) that hasn't changed names.
Kind of hypocritical of the thin skinned idiots.
Ah, the go to exclamation when you don't get the answer you want.
So one POTUS renames something and you're good with it. Trump does the exact same thing and you set your hair on fire.
Wrong. Trump had no power to do so.
What drives some to defend every move Trump makes? This is cultish.
And you fail to read yet again and you even included this in your quote:
Trump has every right to change the name in the US.
Your article says that Trump can rename it as far as the US is concerned. No shit, George. But the Gulf of Mexico is not owned by the USA so actually renaming the Gulf requires international agreement and that is almost certainly NOT going to happen.
You do know that the USA does not own the Gulf of Mexico, so apply basic logic.
It's only declared deflection because you called out bullshit.
Maybe King Solomon had the right idea.
It's all about the D
Trump never claimed to name the gulf internationally so many arguments about this is just TDS, he has ordered the US to change it's name on official documents, Not Mexico's or any other countries documents FFS. but TDS fools just can't handle the truth.
It's not like there isn't precedent for different names, The US calls it the Persian gulf but the intelligent countries that hate Iran calls it the Arabian gulf, we can talk about the Sea of Japan also or East Sea if you prefer, but that won't stop TDS butthurt liberals from whining about trump.
Why? Does Gulf Of Mexico hurt his feelings ?
Does the Gulf of America hurt yours?
You are constantly telling us what hurts trump or what he is thinking, Since trump is a college graduate with a degree in economics from Wharton, and President of the United state, Is not an alcoholic or a drug abuser at any point of his life, what exactly qualifies you as an expert in what trump is thinking?
10 or 15 years of watching him lie many times every day.
And exactly how many times has those "lies" turned out to be true? and how many times did you come back and admit you were wrong?
The only thing I "failed" to do was give the answer you wanted.
That's what it appears to be.
So.... your OPINION.
No deflection. Just an answer you don't like.
You specifically said, and I quote "no PotUS has a right". This opened up the right to counter your bs about NO PRESIDENT. Vic clearly showed your post was wrong.
The left is trying to it changed to Indigenous Day, or something stupid like that. Mainly because Columbus was white.
Include my full quote rather than engage in blatant dishonesty. (Dishonesty at every turn; this is pathetic.)
The USA does not own the Gulf of Mexico. Its name is based on international consensus. Certainly not based on an edict from a would-be emperor. Trump might succeed in getting the name changed within the domain of the USA (until he is out of office) but he has no power to actually change the name of that international body of water anymore than he could change the name of the Atlantic Ocean.
A flat out demonstrable lie.
Here comes crazy Liz Warren the Native American
Shaking and screeching!
She just made herself look stupid and Crapo shot her down with what Kennedy had signed before with the ethics committee.
Typically, she never fails to look stupid.
Don't forget she is a beer drinker like many average Americans
She only does that on day's that end in "Y".
Today she made Kennedy look stupid, so you never know.
By trying to scream over him?
No, John that's not a good look even for the Harvard debating team.
Have some respect for the first woman of color hired by Harvard law.
Which happens to be a great way to get into Harvard Law.
I doubt anyone is going to call it Gulf of America for several years.
The tappan zee bridge was renamed the Mario Cuomo bridge in 2017 but I still call it the tappan zee. Funny how New York Democrats would rename a bridge originally named for a Native American Tribe and there was no push back. There was a bill in 2023 to bring back the old name but it seems it went nowhere.