President Donald Trump took aim at government spending during his address to Congress, highlighting what he described as waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs. He cited findings from his Department of Government Efficiency, which he claimed uncovered $24.5 billion in unnecessary expenditures.

Among the spending he criticized was an $8 million research project involving transgender mice, which he used as an example of government waste. “Eight million dollars for making mice transgender,” Trump stated. However, fact-checkers at CNN reported that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) allocated $477,121 to research involving hormone therapy in monkeys to study immune responses and HIV susceptibility.

A Push for Anti-Trans Policies

Reaffirming his administration’s stance, Trump pushed for a permanent ban on gender-affirming care for minors, calling it a “big lie.” He urged Congress to pass legislation that would outlaw such treatments for children nationwide.

Trump also touted his administration’s accomplishments, stating, “We have accomplished more than most administrations in four or eight years, and we are just getting started.”

Mixed Congressional Reactions

Congressman Michael Cloud praised Trump’s efficiency in identifying $24.5 billion in questionable spending in under three minutes. Meanwhile, Representative Thomas Massie noted the irony of Congress applauding Trump’s critique of wasteful spending while continuing to approve deficit-increasing budgets.