OMB Memo Pausing Federal Funding Drama

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at a press conference today.

The administration rescinded the OMB memo to pause Federal funding today, after the entire nation fell into a frenzy over which programs will stop receiving funding. The administration, one at a time, in various interviews, leaks and publications throughout the day both yesterday and early today, made the list of exempt programs longer and longer, until it became ineffectual. In the end, the memo was withdrawn. In short, the Trump Administration lost a poorly planned, poorly executed political battle in 48 hours.

In attempt to save face, the administration told the press that the fracas achieved the objective of putting agencies on notice. However, as late as tonight, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, wrote on the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the President rescinded the order, but fully planned to follow through with the funding freeze. But this tweet was removed at some point, soon after it was posted. 

President Trump signed an executive order today, rescinding funding to schools K-12 that teach anything but a traditional idea of the United States as an inspired and magnificent nation, or who teach racism, or who allow children to live as transgender people. This may seem like a hodgepodge of teachings from various ideologies; however, it is not. Today's conservatives believe that if children learn history and feel bad about it, then that history was taught in a racist manner. 

Lastly, President Trump announced today that Guantanamo Bay will house up to 30,000 undocumented migrants detained in the United States. Over the past two-and-a-half decades, Guantanamo Bay has housed people accused of terrorism, sometimes for many years. Suspected terrorists were detained without trial and tortured there. This is not to say the administration intends to torture or hold people indefinitely there without trial or recourse. The reputation of the place, however, and the idea of sending migrants there, has caused outrage on social media. Time will tell.