President Donald Trump asked a room full of investors if they knew what condoms are while repeating the false claim that the U.S. was going to spend millions of dollars on them to be used in Gaza.
On Wednesday, Trump attended an investor event in Miami held by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, which has invested at least $2 billion in his son-in-law Jared Kushner's firm. In his remarks at the event, Trump rattled off a list of spending items in the federal budget - including nonexistent ones like tens of millions for condoms in Gaza.
Last month, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt falsely claimed Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" had uncovered a $50 million line item for condoms in Gaza. Trump retold the falsehood days later, but upped the amount to $100 million and alleged the nonexistent prophylactics were specifically for Hamas. On Wednesday, the president repeated the claim even after Musk admitted he got it wrong.
"Forty-seven million dollars for improving learning outcomes in Asia," Trump told the investors in attendance. "Asia's doing very well. We don't need to give the money. And in another program, $50 million, plus another 50 million dollars for condoms for Hamas. Do you know about that? A hundred million dollars for condoms. Condoms. Does everybody know what a condom is? For Hamas. Hundred million dollars. And these are just some. I could read the list all day but I just don't wanna bore you."
Some of the claims being alleged by Musk and DOGE have fallen apart under scrutiny. On Monday, the organization claimed on its website that it saved $8 billion by canceling a government contract for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, The New York Times noted, the figure was actually $8 million. Additionally, DOGE has claimed it has saved $55 billion overall, but details were not provided.