Tag: press

  • Individuals receiving direct assistance won’t be impacted by federal funding freeze, press secretary says

    Individuals receiving direct assistance won’t be impacted by federal funding freeze, press secretary says

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    President Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that federal individual assistance will not be affected by a freeze on federal grants and loans.

    “I have now been asked and answered this question four times,” Leavitt told reporters Tuesday during her first White House press briefing on Tuesday. “To individuals at home who receive direct assistance from the federal government: You will not be impacted by this federal freeze.” 

    Programs including Social Security benefits, Medicare, food stamps, welfare benefits and other assistance going directly to individuals will not be impacted under the pause, according to Leavitt. 

    TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to members of the press in the grounds of the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 22, 2025.  (Getty)

    “There is no uncertainty in this building … this is not a blanket pause on federal assistance and grant programs from the Trump administration,” Leavitt said. 

    The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo on Monday issuing a pause on all federal grants and loans aiming to eradicate “wokeness” and the “weaponization of government” to improve government efficiency. 

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    “Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” the memo, obtained by Fox Digital, reads. 

    The pause takes effect at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday.

    Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

  • Trump administration holds first White House press conference with Karoline Leavitt

    Trump administration holds first White House press conference with Karoline Leavitt

    The Trump administration will hold its first White House press conference with newly minted press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday afternoon, according to the White House schedule. 

    President Donald Trump has been on a media blitz since his inauguration on Jan. 20, including sitting down for his first White House interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity and speaking with the media as he traveled to states rocked by natural disasters, including North Carolina and California. Trump’s press secretary also has frequently joined media outlets for interviews since Trump was sworn in, but has not yet held a White House press briefing. 

    Leavitt, 27, is the youngest press secretary in the nation’s history – unseating President Richard Nixon’s press secretary Ron Ziegler, who was 29 when he took the same position in 1969. Leavitt was a fierce defender of Trump throughout his hard-fought campaign against former Vice President Kamala Harris, and also made her own political mark with a congressional run in 2022. 

    Leavitt served in Trump’s first administration as assistant press secretary before working as New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik’s communications director following the 2020 election. She launched a congressional campaign in her home state of New Hampshire during the 2022 cycle, winning her primary but losing the election to a Democrat. 

    WHO IS KAROLINE LEAVITT?: A LOOK AT THE YOUNGEST WOMAN EVER NAMED TO SERVE AS WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY

    Karoline Leavitt, with President Donald Trump, is the youngest press secretary in the nation’s history.

    Leavitt picked up the torch of press secretary from the Biden administration’s chief spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre. 

    TRUMP’S ‘SHOCK AND AWE’: FORGET FIRST 100 DAYS, NEW PRESIDENT SHOWS OFF FRENETIC PACE IN FIRST 100 HOURS

    Trump’s first week in office was a whirlwind of executive orders and actions as part of his mission to follow through on campaign promises, such as securing the border and removing diversity, equity and inclusion practices from federal offices. 

    Donald Trump arrives prior to the inauguration

    President Donald Trump’s first few days in office were a whirlwind of executive orders and actions as part of his mission to follow through on campaign promises. (Melina Mara, Pool/Getty Images)

    “I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success,” Trump said during his inaugural speech on Jan. 20. “A tide of change is sweeping the country. Sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before.” 

    ‘TIP OF THE SPEAR’: TRUMP RAMPS UP UNSCRIPTED MEDIA BLITZ AFTER YEARS OF RECLUSIVE BIDEN DUCKING QUESTIONS

    trump hannity

    “I think we got there just in the nick of time,” President Donald Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in the Oval Office. (Fox News/Hannity)

    Trump repeatedly has made himself available to the media since his inauguration – a departure from former President Joe Biden’s infrequent availability to the media – speaking to reporters for about 45 minutes on the evening of his inauguration and again speaking with reporters on Tuesday for another 30 minutes. 

    Trump also sat down with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday, where the pair discussed issues ranging from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to hurricanes and wildfires under the Biden administration and declaring that his return to the White House serves as evidence that policies from the “radical left” do not work and were rejected by voters. 

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    “I think it’s bigger. It’s bigger than if it were more traditional,” he said on “Hannity,” referring to serving two nonconsecutive terms. “I think we got there just in the nick of time.”