President Trump aims to stop “wasteful grantmaking” by signing an executive order that requires his appointees to review grants to make sure they benefit Americans. Here’s what you need to know about the federal grant oversight order:
The executive order mandate
Political appointees must review grants for American benefit:
- Order signed Thursday directs political appointees and subject matter experts to review each grant
- Must ensure grants are helpful and not “lining grantees’ pocketbooks”
- Also prevents “furthering causes that damage America”
- Award decisions undergo “more rigorous evaluation” to benefit American public
The evaluation criteria
Grants must meet specific administration standards:
- Awards must “align with Administration priorities”
- Decisions must be “coordinated across agencies to avoid duplication”
- Order aims to cancel future grants that don’t meet proper criteria
- Fact sheet emphasizes ensuring grants benefit American public
The misuse examples
White House cites problematic federal funding:
- Training doctoral candidates in critical race theory
- Grants going toward diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
- “Other anti-American ideologies in the classroom”
- Activities “masked as rigorous and thoughtful investigation”
The gain-of-function concern
Research connected to pandemic draws criticism:
- Order points to “harm imposed by problematic federal grants”
- Specifically mentions gain-of-function research
- Research “gained criticism with its connection to the COVID-19 pandemic”
- Listed as example of grants needing stronger oversight
The accountability framework
Government must treat tax revenue as public trust:
- “Strong need to strengthen oversight and coordination of, and to streamline, agency grantmaking”
- Goal to “address these problems, prevent them from recurring”
- “Ensure greater accountability for use of public funds more broadly”
- “Government holds tax revenue in trust for the American people”
The plain language requirement
Grants must be simplified and accessible:
- Fact sheet says grants must be simplified in plain language
- Awards should go to “wide array of meritorious grantees”
- Not just “universities and nonprofits that have received awards year after year”
- Aims to diversify grant recipients beyond traditional institutions
The merit-based approach
Results matter more than grant-writing expertise:
- “Federal grant money should be awarded based on a grantee’s ability to produce results”
- “Not based on its ability to hire lawyers and grant-writing experts”
- Emphasizes outcome-focused funding decisions
- Seeks to level playing field for grant applicants
The broader agenda
Order continues Trump’s wasteful spending removal efforts:
- Continuation of president’s push to remove wasteful government spending
- Ensures policies align with his agenda
- Department of Government Efficiency created to slash federal funding
- DOGE cuts contracts and grants across government
The NGO restrictions
Related orders target nongovernmental organizations:
- Trump signed orders ensuring NGOs advance only U.S. interests
- Government funds can’t promote DEI and other “anti-American” ideology
- Part of broader effort to align federal spending with administration priorities
- Coordinates with grant oversight requirements
The university conflicts
President clashes with higher education institutions:
- Trump clashed with numerous universities including Harvard and Columbia
- Disputes over teaching of DEI and critical race theory
- Also criticized antisemitic treatment of Jewish students
- Universities face increased scrutiny over federal funding
The affirmative action monitoring
New memorandum requires admissions data:
- Trump signed memorandum Thursday ordering institutions to provide admissions data
- Data must show affirmative action is not taking place
- Higher education institutions must comply with data requests
- Part of broader effort to eliminate race-based preferences
Read more:
• Trump appointees to oversee grants to ensure they align with agenda
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
