The Trump administration has pushed back against criticism from traditionally Republican districts concerned about the economic impact of spending cuts, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissing such concerns as “minor complaints” in the face of broad public approval.
“The overwhelming response from the American people is support for what this administration is doing,” Leavitt said during a brief press gaggle on Friday, rejecting concerns over job losses and spending reductions.
The White House has framed its austerity measures as the fulfillment of the Trump pledge to rein in government excessive spending. “This is something that Democrats promised they would do for decades. President Trump is just the first president to get it done,” Leavitt said.
Republicans have largely praised the administration’s efforts to cut wasteful expenditure. But the question of fraud which is a crime, has raised further scrutiny. Pressed on when the Trump administration would turn over evidence of fraud to the Justice Department and when indictments might be expected, Leavitt pivoted to foreign aid.
“First of all, I think all Americans would agree that funding mastectomies in Mozambique is not something that the American people should be funding,” she said. “I think it’s fraudulent that the American government has been ripping off taxpayers in this way.”
Leavitt pointed to what she described as “extensive fraud” within the Social Security system, citing an Inspector General’s report from the Social Security Administration that identified $71 billion in fraudulent or improper payments in a single fiscal year. “That is a lot of fraud,” she said, adding that the Trump administration was determined to get to the bottom of it.
She also took aim at the media, accusing journalists of being “adamantly opposed to cutting waste, fraud, and abuse.”
“American taxpayers don’t want their tax dollars going towards crazy DEI programs in countries overseas,” Leavitt said. “They also don’t like the fact that there has been $71 billion worth of fraud in Social Security and improper payments going out the door. That is a problem that needs to be fixed. President Trump is going to fix it.”
While Leavitt’s comments reflect the administration’s unwavering stance to cut spending, the question remains whether the promised crackdown on fraud will yield tangible legal action.
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