President Trump on Friday called for a review of all federal funding to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), his latest effort to hack away at spending that doesn’t align with his “America first” agenda.
Trump alleged that “many NGOs are engaged in actions that actively undermine the security, prosperity, and safety of the American people.”
The Hill’s Julia Mueller reports: “The broad announcement did not name specific NGOs. According to the State Department, there are some 1.5 million such advocacy and service groups operating in the United States, focusing on social and economic issues including elections, healthcare and women’s rights, among many others.”
This comes as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues its offensive against the federal workforce.
Early on, it appeared some Democrats would be on board with the effort to root out government waste. Instead, Democrats now see Musk as a villain for the provocative and brute manner in which he’s gone about his business.
Rep. Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo that she’s leaving the House DOGE caucus to protest what she described as Musk’s belligerence.
“I don’t see how we can do this work when Elon Musk is blowing things up,” she said. “It’s like trying to replace your roof when someone is throwing dynamite through the window into your living room.”
Trump gave Musk a vote of confidence on Friday.
“Elon is doing a great job,” he said. “He’s finding tremendous fraud and corruption and waste. You see it with the USAID, but you’re going to see it even more so with other agencies and other parts of government.”
The latest:
• The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing next week on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) amid Musk’s plans to reduce the workforce from about 14,000 to 300.
Unions are suing to stop USAID from being shutdown.
• Trump directed Musk to review spending at the Pentagon and Department of Education.
• Red states are pursuing their own DOGE-style reforms, The Hill’s Julia Manchester reports: “Governors in Oklahoma and New Hampshire have used their executive authority to establish DOGE-like commissions, while state lawmakers in Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri have introduced measures to establish their own versions of the department.”
• More than 60,000 federal workers accepted the Trump administration’s buyout offers, although there will be a hearing on Monday about the legality of that move.
• Democrats say they were denied access to the Environment Protection Agency after trying to meet with DOGE officials there.
• Musk is bringing back a DOGE staffer who resigned over racist social media posts. Vice President Vance advocated for the employee to be brought back.
