Donald Trump took an unexpected turn during his address to Congress on Tuesday, bringing up an unusual topic—transgenic rodents. He claimed the government had spent $8 million on “making mice transgender,” pausing as Republican lawmakers chuckled.
“This is real,” he added, emphasising that taxpayer money was being wasted on unnecessary research.
Trump’s comments referred to spending cuts recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative backed by Republicans to reduce what they see as frivolous expenditures. As he listed these cuts in a sarcastic tone, Republican lawmakers laughed and booed in response, reported The Mirror.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, a vocal supporter of cutting government spending, was also present. When Trump mentioned DOGE, Musk stood and waved as Republicans in the chamber cheered.
Though Trump did not provide specifics, his remarks appeared to reference a subcommittee hearing led by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace last month, reported ABC News. It was titled “Transgender lab rats and poisoned puppies: Oversight of taxpayer-funded animal cruelty.”
During her opening remarks, Mace cited a report from the White Coat Waste Project, a watchdog group opposing government-funded animal testing, which claimed that over $10 million in taxpayer money had been “wasted” on studies involving transgender mice, rats, and monkeys in university labs.
