A White House order to freeze federal grants reflects a theory of presidential power that Donald Trump clearly endorsed during his 2024 campaign. The approach was further outlined in the Project 2025 governing treatise that candidate Trump furiously denied was a blueprint for his second administration. At face value, the Monday evening memo from Matthew Vaeth, acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, is meant to bring federal spending in line with Trump’s executive actions, notably on LGBTQ+ issues, civil rights, energy and environmental policy.
