The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have identified a planned $50 million allocation under the previous Biden-Harris administration earmarked for condom distribution in Gaza, a move now halted under President Donald Trump’s new spending review.
During her first White House press conference, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the proposed funding, calling it a “preposterous waste of taxpayer money.”
“DOGE and OMB have actually found that there was $37 million 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, no longer wants the United States to be a part of. So that wouldn’t be in line with the President’s agenda,” Leavitt said.
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“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. So that’s what this pause is focused on, being good stewards of tax dollars,” she added.
BREAKING: DOGE and OMB (Office of Management and Budget) found that the Biden admin was about to send $37M to the World Health Organization and $50M to fund condoms for Gaza. pic.twitter.com/u0gtiLQbwX
— Autism Capital (@AutismCapital) January 28, 2025
The discovery comes as the Trump administration enforces a temporary halt on federal grants and loans through an Office of Management and Budget memo.
The review seeks to determine whether funding allocations align with the president’s executive orders, which aim to eliminate taxpayer funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, the Green New Deal, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that undermine U.S. national interests.
However, a legal challenge has emerged. Judge Loren AliKhan, a Biden-appointed judge, issued a temporary stay on Trump’s spending freeze.
The order will remain in effect until February 3 at 5 p.m., leaving open the possibility of continued legal battles over the halted funds.
Hamas wants free condoms to make bombs and America’s been supplying them. We were just about to spend $50 MILLION on condoms on Gaza— enough to give every guy there 1,000 condoms. That’s a lot of safe sex and even more bombs… pic.twitter.com/JduAhVVHbV
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) January 29, 2025
The Jerusalem Post previously reported in 2020 that inflated condoms were being used to carry improvised explosive devices (IEDs) into southern Israel.
These makeshift balloon-borne explosives were launched from Gaza, sparking wildfires on Israeli farmland and endangering civilians.
The report stated that these IED-carrying condoms caused millions of shekels in damage and raised alarm in Israeli schoolyards, highways, and agricultural areas.
While it remains unclear whether this tactic is still in use, the report raises questions about how such aid is being utilized in the region.
Following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks—where terrorists raped and murdered civilians and took hundreds hostage—some international organizations continued to advocate for uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), a global NGO, released a statement shortly after the attack, warning that restricting aid shipments would “infringe on enormous gains made in life-saving sexual and reproductive healthcare in this region.”
A corresponding organization, the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA), claimed that “Palestinians are systematically denied sexual and reproductive healthcare and rights.”
“Our health system has been repeatedly targeted and depleted by the Israeli occupation, and the more it disintegrates, the more it will hinder the full realization of these rights for women and girls,” PFPPA’s executive director said.
However, Andrew Miller, a former deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs under the Biden administration, called the claim “outlandish.”
“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,” Miller told The Times of Israel.
The Trump administration’s review of federal funding continues as it evaluates spending priorities and the elimination of programs deemed wasteful.
The decision to halt funds for condom distribution in Gaza is part of broader efforts to ensure that taxpayer money aligns with the administration’s goals.
With legal challenges already underway, the February 3 deadline for Judge AliKhan’s stay will determine whether Trump’s funding freeze holds or faces additional obstacles in the courts.
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