White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Tuesday, January 28, that the Trump administration had frozen a $50 million federal disbursement intended for “condoms in Gaza.”
Leavitt explained that the Office of Management and Budget, along with the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, found that $50 million in taxpayer money was set to be allocated for this purpose. “That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money. This pause is focused on being good stewards of tax dollars,” she said.
In a broader move, President Donald Trump has ordered a freeze on foreign aid and domestic grants as part of an effort to align federal spending with the administration’s priorities, under the direction of the DOGE and the Office of Management and Budget.
The U.S. Agency for International Development runs a family planning and reproductive health program in 41 countries but does not include Gaza or Israel as recipients. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that travelers to “Israel, including the West Bank and Gaza” carry latex condoms to prevent illness or injury.
Leavitt also addressed questions about Trump’s decision to remove security details for former officials threatened by Iran. “He does not believe American taxpayers should fund security details for individuals who have served in government for the rest of their lives,” Leavitt stated. “There’s nothing stopping these individuals from obtaining private security.”
When asked about investigating the Biden administration’s funding of the U.N.’s Palestinian aid agency (UNRWA) and removing Yemen’s Houthi rebels from the State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Leavitt said that was not currently under discussion but added, “It wouldn’t be a bad idea, considering that the Houthis certainly are terrorists.”
