CNN forced to issue correction to Trump fact-check after false claim Biden admin did not spend $8 million on transgender mice

CNN was forced to issue a correction on Wednesday after they had falsely fact-checked President Donald Trump's claim that the federal government under former President Joe Biden had spent $8.2 million on "gender affirming" hormone treatments in mice. The funding was funneled through the National Institutes of Health but CNN's Deidre McPhillips clapped back at the president, saying that the experiments were only carried out on monkeys and that it amounted to a mere $500,000. 

Turns out she and CNN were mistaken. It was the White House that pointed that out. "Under the Biden Administration, the National Institutes of Health doled out millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded grants for institutions across the country to perform transgender experiments on mice," the White House said in a statement before laying out some shocking examples of egregious spending.



CNN had originally reported "Trump falsely claimed that the Department of Government Efficiency identified government spending of '$8 million for making mice transgender.'" In their reporting, they had cited three studies. One from the NIH on breast cancer research and the effects of testosterone on that condition, and two others from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which had been headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci, on the efficacy of HIV vaccines for mice on cross-sex hormones, The Daily Caller noted.

"Just listen to some of the appalling waste we have already identified. $22 billion from HHS to provide free housing and cars for illegal aliens, $45 million for Diversity Equity and Inclusion scholarships in Burma. $40 million to improve the social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants," Trump said in his Tuesday night speech to a joint session of Congress.

"$8 million for making mice transgender," Trump went on. "$32 million for a left-wing propaganda operation in Moldova. $10 million for male circumcision in Mozambique. $20 million for the Arab Sesame Street in the Middle East. It's a program, $20 million for a program. $1.9 billion to recently-created decarbonization of homes committee, headed up — and we know she's involved, just at the last moment, the money was passed over by a woman named Stacy Abrams."

After becoming aware of the error, CNN updated their article from "Trump falsely claimed" to "This claim needs context." The correction on the story read "An earlier version of this item incorrectly characterized as false Trump’s claim about federal money being spent for ‘making mice transgender.'" 

McPhillips cited the list given by the White House, saying "The White House list made clear what Trump, in the speech, did not: The studies were meant to figure out how these treatments might affect the health of humans who take them, not for the purpose of making mice transgender."

Trump's speech, which clocked in at over 100 minutes, was on a wide range of topics that included not only cuts to government waste but the Trump administration's accomplishments during their short time in office so far.