Thu Jan 30 14:16:50 UTC 2025: ## Trump Claims Blocked $50 Million in Condom Shipments to Gaza for Bomb-Making, Claim Met With Skepticism
**Washington D.C.** – President Donald Trump has claimed his administration successfully prevented $50 million in taxpayer funds from being sent to Gaza to purchase condoms allegedly used by Hamas to manufacture bombs. This assertion, made during a speech listing administration accomplishments, has been met with widespread skepticism and a lack of supporting evidence.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the president’s claim, stating that the Department of Government Efficiency and the Office of Management and Budget discovered the supposed funding. She described the alleged aid as a “preposterous waste of taxpayer money.” Similar claims were made by Fox News host Jesse Watters, who suggested Hamas used the condoms to create explosive-laden balloons targeting Israel. However, no evidence has been presented to support these allegations.
Experts and aid organizations have strongly refuted the claims. Jeremy Konyndyk, former head of USAID’s COVID-19 assistance, pointed out that $50 million would purchase one billion condoms at the agency’s procurement price, a quantity deemed impossible and highly improbable. He suggested the claim stemmed from a misinterpretation of government spreadsheets.
The International Medical Corps (IMC), a recipient of US funding for medical care in Gaza, stated unequivocally that it received no US government funding for condoms or family planning services. Furthermore, a review of USAID reports from fiscal years 2007-2023 revealed no record of condom shipments to Gaza. Reports indicate that most US contraceptive aid went to Africa, with only a small amount allocated to the Middle East, and none specifically to Gaza.
While the Trump administration cited this alleged incident as an example of wasteful foreign aid, critics suggest it’s a misleading attempt to justify a broader freeze on foreign assistance. This freeze, implemented shortly after Trump’s return to office, impacted nearly all foreign aid except for emergency food assistance and military aid to certain countries.
The possibility of confusion between Gaza in the Palestinian territories and other locations with the same name, including one in Mozambique, has been raised, as the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation has received substantial US funding for reproductive health projects in Mozambique’s Gaza province. However, there is no indication this funding has been affected.
The lack of evidence and the significant discrepancies between the Trump administration’s claims and publicly available data have left many questioning the veracity of the president’s statement. The White House has yet to provide any evidence to substantiate the claim.
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