Trump’s 27-year-old press secretary announces ‘no more condoms for Gaza’ in new-look briefing

Donald Trump’s 27-year-old press secretary announced the US was halting shipments of condoms to Gaza during her first new-look White House briefing.

Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the briefings will no longer be reserved for members of the legacy media, but will be opened up to TikTokers, social media influencers and podcasters.

Ms Leavitt briefed reporters that the newly-established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the White House Office for Management and Budget (OMB) found “that there was about to be $50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza”.

“That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money. So that’s what this pause is focused on, being good stewards of tax dollars,” she said.

The Trump administration has also blocked a pending payment of $37 million to the World Health Organisation. On his first day in office, the president signed an executive order cutting ties with the body.

Not yet 30, Ms Leavitt is the youngest person in history to hold the role of press secretary – two years younger than Richard Nixon’s press secretary Ron Ziegler was when he was appointed in 1969.

Ms Leavitt promised to open up seats beside her podium to “new media voices”, with Breitbart, a far-right news outlet, given a space at the inaugural briefing of Mr Trump’s second term.

She added that “independent journalists, podcasters and social media influencers” would be welcomed at future briefings, and suggested journalists who lost their White House press passes during Joe Biden’s presidency could have their access returned.

One newly invited member of the press thanked Ms Leavitt for “giving voices to media outlets that represent millions and millions of Americans”.

In a swipe at traditional media outlets, Ms Leavitt promised to “call you out” for reporting misinformation.

The comments will raise fears that access to White House briefings could be withdrawn for journalists whose coverage reflects badly on the president.

On Tuesday, the White House issued a memo temporarily suspending federal grants, loans and other financial assistance programs for domestic executive departments.

Federal agencies “must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance,” OMB acting director Matthew Vaeth said in the document.

It fuelled concerns of a sweeping ban on all federal assistance, including social security and medicare.

Ms Leavitt told reporters it was “not a blanket pause” but designed to ensure federal spending aligned with the “priorities of the American people”.

Despite her insistence that Medicaid payments would not be affected, state programmes across the country reported they had been blocked from accessing the online portals that provide them with federal funding.

Late on Tuesday, a US judge temporarily blocked Mr Trump’s plans to pause federal loans, grants and other financial assistance, handing a win to advocacy groups who said the policy would have a “devastating impact”.

US District Judge Loren AliKhan stayed the slashing of funding to existing programmes until at least February 3, in a bid to “maintain the status quo” following an 11th-hour legal challenge from opponents.

It marks the second time a federal judge has intervened to block Mr Trump’s policy agenda since he returned to office, after a judge ruled last week that his plans to end birthright citizenship are “blatantly unconstitutional”.

The new press secretary took aim at the previous administration’s spending on climate protections, which she called the “green new scam”, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

In practice, Ms Leavitt said the pause would mean “no more funding for transgenderism and wokeness”.

“President Trump is looking out for you by issuing this pause because he is being a good steward of your taxpayer dollars,” she said.

Elsewhere, Ms Leavitt said the New Jersey drone sightings which triggered widespread conspiracies in December last year were “authorised” and “not the enemy”.

“After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorised to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons,” Ms Leavitt said.

She added that many of the drones were “hobbyists” and that the situation “got worse due to curiosity”.

The drone sightings caused widespread speculation about foreign interference.

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