Trump’s first month in office can be likened to a policy tornado.
But The President isn’t the only person in the new administration cooking up a storm. While Trump has been signing a flurry of unhinged executive orders (such as trying to ban paper straws and forcibly renaming the Gulf of Mexico), his Musk attack dog has been tearing up government agencies and weighing in on sensitive global issues.
As expected during such momentous change, small details (like fact-checking) can get forgotten. One example is Trump’s claim he heroically blocked $50m worth of condoms destined for Gaza. For the record, Jeremy Konyndyk of Refugees International estimated that $50m would be enough for 1 billion condoms—a frankly ludicrous amount.
As you might imagine, there appeared to be a slight mixup. Many sources did find prolonged U.S. contraceptive support in Gaza Province (Mozambique) to combat AIDS. But, there was no evidence of wide-scale condom distribution in war-torn Palestine.
Either the condoms were blocked in error because, you know, Palestine and Mozambique are only separated by 3,400 miles, or it was a deliberate attempt to justify the aid freeze.
Perhaps wisely, the Trump administration has avoided addressing accusations of misinformation on the topic — until Tuesday. During a press conference at the Oval Office, one reporter quizzed Musk about the confusion.
Surprisingly, Musk conceded a mistake had been made, going one step further to say, “Some of the things I say will be incorrect.” This admission seems redundant for a man who regularly shares misinformation without regard for its implications.
Musk went on to describe sending $50m to Mozambique as not quite as bad as sending it to Gaza, but still not good enough in the eyes of many Americans.
Many Trump/Musk supporters will look past the misinformation (intentional or otherwise) and see the administration fulfilling its promises. Trump has long portrayed the U.S. as bankrolling the world’s ills, and every scrapped aid scheme will support the America First philosophy at the heart of U.S. government.
