At around the 18:30-minute mark of this video, you can hear Karoline Leavitt announcing this issue to the press.
Washington, D.C. – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the Biden-era allocation of $50 million for contraceptives in Gaza has been halted under President Donald Trump’s administration. Leavitt referred to the funding as a “preposterous waste” of American taxpayer dollars during a press briefing on Monday (RealClearPolitics, 2025).
The State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, has frozen millions of dollars in foreign aid as part of a broader review to align spending with the administration’s “America First” policy. The freeze is part of a 90-day pause ordered by President Trump to reassess the distribution of U.S. foreign aid (New York Post, 2025).
“There was about to be $50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza. That has been stopped,” Leavitt stated (RealClearPolitics, 2025). The administration argues that such expenditures do not serve U.S. strategic interests and are being scrutinized under the president’s executive orders aimed at cutting unnecessary spending.
This decision follows Trump’s broader initiative to eliminate funding for programs that do not align with his administration’s priorities, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. While most foreign aid is under review, emergency food assistance and military aid to Israel and Egypt remain unaffected (New York Post, 2025).
Additionally, the administration has reportedly placed at least 56 USAID officials on leave, citing concerns that they were working to undermine Trump’s policy directives (New York Post, 2025).
The move has sparked debate in Washington, with critics arguing that the aid was essential for public health and family planning efforts in the region. Supporters of the decision, however, believe it exemplifies Trump’s commitment to reducing wasteful spending and refocusing foreign aid toward national security priorities.
For further details, see reports from: