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FACT FOCUS: No evidence that $50 million was designated by the US to buy condoms for Hamas

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FACT FOCUS: No evidence that $50 million was designated by the US to buy condoms for Hamas
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FACT FOCUS: No evidence that $50 million was designated by the US to buy condoms for Hamas

2025-01-30 11:02 Last Updated At:11:10

During a signing ceremony Wednesday for the Laken Riley Act, President Donald Trump claimed that his administration had "identified and stopped $50 million being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas."

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, made a similar claim on Tuesday during her debut press briefing, stating that the Department of Government Efficiency and the Office of Management and Budget “found that there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza.” She called the alleged aid “a preposterous waste of taxpayer money.” But there's no credible evidence to support these claims.

Here's a closer look at the facts:

CLAIM: The Trump administration stopped $50 million from being sent to the Gaza Strip to buy condoms for Hamas.

THE FACTS: Trump and his spokesperson appeared to be referring to a grant or grants that USAID awarded to a group called the International Medical Corps worth $102.2 million to provide medical and trauma services in Gaza. The State Department earlier Wednesday described this as an example of “egregious funding” not aligned with American interests or the president’s policies.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce similarly wrote Tuesday on X that the agency had “prevented $102 million in unjustified funding to a contractor in Gaza, including money for contraception” thanks to a pause in foreign assistance.

Officials said the Trump administration stopped two $50 million buckets of “aid” for Gaza via the International Medical Corps, which included: family planning programming including emergency contraception; sexual healthcare including prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs); and adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

The $100 million for these programs included contraceptives, officials said, adding that condoms have traditionally always been used for family planning in developing countries by USAID.

According to the IMC, “No US government funding was used to procure or distribute condoms, nor provide family-planning services.”

The IMC said in a press release that it has received $68,078,508 from USAID to support its operations in Gaza since October 7, 2023. They said the resources were used to operate two large field hospitals currently located in central Gaza—one in Deir Al Balah and one in Al Zawaida — offering a combined total capacity of more than 250 beds, including 20 in the emergency room and 170 in the surgical department. These facilities have provided around-the-clock medical care to about 33,000 civilians per month.

The IMC said that since January 2024 it has provided healthcare to more than 383,000 civilians who had no other access to services or treatment, including performing about 11,000 surgeries. According to statistics provided by the IMC, they also assisted in the delivery of some 5,000 babies, screened 111,000 people for malnutrition, treated 2,767 for acute malnutrition and distributed micronutrient supplements to 36,000 people.

Refugees International President Jeremy Konyndyk, who oversaw USAID’s COVID-19 assistance portfolio for the Biden administration, refuted Trump and Leavitt’s claims Wednesday on X.

“USAID procures condoms for around $0.05 apiece,” he wrote. “$50m would be ONE BILLION condoms. What’s going on here is NOT a billion condoms for Gaza. What’s going on is that the bros at DOGE apparently can’t read govt spreadsheets.”

USAID's financial year 2023 report on contraceptive and condom shipments, the most recent data available, notes that only one Middle Eastern country — Jordan — received a small shipment of injectables and oral contraceptives valued at $45,680 for government programs only. This was USAID's first shipment to the Middle East since financial year 2019.

USAID reports from the first three-quarters of 2024 show the only family planning programs funded by the agency in the Middle East were in Jordan and Yemen.

Associated Press writers Ellen Knickmeyer and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump speaks before signing the Laken Riley Act in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump speaks before signing the Laken Riley Act in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Otega Oweh scored 20 points and No. 17 Kentucky took advantage of its size to start the second half to pull away for an 82-61 win over Vanderbilt on Wednesday night.

The Wildcats (18-8, 7-6 Southeastern Conference) led 41-40 at the half, but focused on going inside for their first three baskets of the second half and forced the Commodores to take a timeout three minutes in.

Amari Williams added 17 points for the Wildcats.

Devin McGlockton led Vanderbilt (17-9, 5-8) with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Commodores only shot 30% from the field in the second half — including 1 for 10 on 3-pointers — after shooting 49% in the first half.

Vanderbilt: The Commodores continued a troubling trend in second halves of conference games. They have allowed opponents to shoot 56% in the second half, 45% on 3-pointers. Kentucky shot 65% in the second half and 50% on 3s.

Kentucky: The Wildcats have only been at full strength seven times this season. They played without starters Lamont Butler (shoulder) and Jaxson Robinson (wrist) for the second straight game. Using a point guard by committee, freshmen Travis Perry and Colin Chandler combined for 13 points and seven rebounds.

After Vanderbilt had got within three points at 47-44, Kentucky went on a 12-2 run to open a double-digit lead at 59-46. Williams and Carr scored two baskets each and Koby Brea ended it with a 3-pointer.

The Commodores dominated the paint in the first half, outscoring the Wildcats 20-12 inside and holding an 18-12 rebounding edge, including eight offensive boards. Kentucky reversed that in the second half, winning the rebounding battle 18-12 and 20-14 in the paint.

Both teams play on Saturday, with Vanderbilt hosting No. 25 Mississippi and Kentucky traveling to No. 4 Alabama.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Kentucky's Otega Oweh (00) goes up between, from left, Vanderbilt's Chris Manon (30), Tyler Nickel (5) and Jason Edwards during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Kentucky's Otega Oweh (00) goes up between, from left, Vanderbilt's Chris Manon (30), Tyler Nickel (5) and Jason Edwards during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

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