People gather during a rally in support of federal funding and in opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump's order to pause all federal grants and loans, near the White House in Washington, U.S., January 28, 2025. After a hearing in Washington, D.C. federal court, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s freeze on federal grants and loans. [Credit for all photos: Reuters]
"Funding saves lives": reads one placard. A two-page internal memo that was circulated by the office of management and budget said that all federal loans and grants would be halted starting at 5pm on Monday. It said that financial assistance should be dedicated to “ending wokeness and the weaponization of government”. “The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” the memo added.