The gathering, styled as a information convention within the Oval Workplace, signalled an finish to a exceptional interval of upheaval throughout the federal paperwork, supervised by Musk and the initiative he led, the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE).
“Elon has labored tirelessly, serving to lead probably the most sweeping and consequential authorities reform program in generations,” Trump stated, omitting that Musk fell far wanting an oft-stated purpose of attaining $1 trillion in financial savings.
This is a fact-check of a few of their claims.
What was stated
“We’ll keep in mind you as we announce billions of {dollars} of additional waste, fraud and abuse.” — Trump
Uncover the tales of your curiosity
That is exaggerated. In itemizing a litany of contracts and grants cancelled by the cost-cutting initiative, Trump misrepresented a number of of them and omitted context about others. He repeated the deceptive declare that DOGE eradicated a cost of “$59 million to a resort in New York Metropolis” to accommodate migrants within the nation illegally. The determine is the quantity for a federal grant awarded to the town within the 2024 fiscal 12 months, not the quantity paid to at least one resort.
He cited $45 million for range, fairness and inclusion scholarships in Burma, utilizing the previous title for Myanmar. That was a 2024 initiative the US Company for Worldwide Growth began after the 2021 navy coup within the Southeast Asian nation.
The scholarships funded Burmese college students finding out at universities within the Philippines and on-line on the College of Arizona. Though the entire award was $45 million over 5 years, about $17 million had been obligated when DOGE cancelled this system.
Trump additionally talked about “$42 million for social and behavioural change in Uganda,” probably referring to a $38 million contract awarded to Johns Hopkins College in 2020 to enhance well being outcomes within the nation. Behaviors listed within the award included the proper use of mosquito nets and medicines to deal with HIV infections. When DOGE canceLled the contract in March, a lot of the cash, about $36 million, had already been spent.
The “$40 million for social and financial inclusion of sedentary migrants” Trump famous referred to a contract to assist Venezuelans who migrated to Colombia.
He once more overstated the hyperlink between a $1.9 billion environmental grant and Stacey Abrams, the previous Democratic candidate for governor in Georgia. A coalition of 5 teams acquired the grant, funded by the Inflation Discount Act, to decarbonize homes in low-income neighbourhoods. Abrams served for one 12 months as a senior adviser to one of many teams and didn’t lead the group.
Trump additionally once more cited “$20 million for Arab Sesame Avenue within the Center East,” including wrongly that “no person is aware of what that is all about.” The award to Sesame Workshop was to not create a program, however to tailor an present kids’s present referred to as “Ahlan Simsim” for native audiences, in addition to to determine academic materials for coaching and use in little one care centres. 1000’s of Iraqi kids seen the programming and took part within the coaching.
And he once more described a physique of analysis grants as “$8 million for making mice transgender.” In March, the White Home printed an inventory of about $8.3 million in analysis grants that aimed to check the efficacy of various drugs on transgender individuals via experiments with mice receiving totally different hormones. Not one of the research particularly sought to “make mice transgender.”
What was stated
“So, I feel the choose simply dominated towards New York Occasions for his or her lies in regards to the Russiagate hoax, and that they could have to present again that Pulitzer Prize.” — Musk
False. Musk dismissed new reporting by the Occasions on his drug use and tumultuous private life by incorrectly describing a authorized continuing and the circumstances of a lawsuit.
The courtroom in query didn’t, as Musk instructed, rule that the Occasions “lied” in its reporting about Russia. The Occasions will not be a litigant within the lawsuit.
In 2021, Trump demanded that the board that awards the Pulitzer Prizes revoke its awards to the Occasions and The Washington Submit for his or her protection of Russian interference within the 2016 presidential election. When the board refused, Trump sued it for defamation.
In 2024, a state choose in Florida rejected the board’s transfer to dismiss the lawsuit. The board later tried to pause proceedings, arguing that as a result of Trump was the president, the lawsuit may immediate a constitutional battle. However a state courtroom dominated this week that the lawsuit may proceed.
What was stated
“It is an unbelievable invoice. It cuts your deficits.” — Trump
False. The Congressional Funds Workplace and quite a few impartial analysts have estimated that the Republican home coverage invoice, handed by the Home this month, would balloon federal deficits by greater than $1 trillion, even when financial progress is factored in.
The CBO estimated a rise within the deficit of $3.8 trillion; the Committee for a Accountable Federal Funds estimated $3.1 trillion, together with curiosity; the Penn Wharton Funds Mannequin estimated $2.8 trillion; and the Tax Basis estimated $1.7 trillion when factoring in financial progress.
“Fairly the alternative, this might be an extremely massive deficit increaser, including $3 trillion to our nation’s borrowing and $5 trillion if the expiring insurance policies are prolonged,” stated Maya MacGuineas, the president of the Committee for a Accountable Federal Funds.
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