Trump admin cuts $1M in federal funding for transgender animal experiments
President Donald Trump’s National Institute of Health made headlines recently after quietly cutting over $1 million in federally funded research that was evaluating whether rats undergoing hormone therapy were more likely to overdose on a popular party drug. This grant, which was part of the DEI-funded NIH program, was brought to light by the White Coat Waste Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to uncovering the misuse of taxpayer dollars for animal testing.
The White Coat Waste Project has been instrumental in exposing wasteful spending on animal research, including the revelation that over $10 million in taxpayer money was spent on creating “transgender animals.” As a result of their investigations, the Trump administration has now cut nine grants related to transgender animal research.
Anthony Bellotti, the president and founder of the White Coat Waste Project, hailed the cuts as a victory for both taxpayers and animals. He emphasized the importance of stopping wasteful spending on experiments that involve sterilization, hormone therapies, and invasive surgeries on animals.
One of the grants that was recently cut was awarded to the University of Pacific Stockton for a project titled “GHB Toxicokinetics: Role of sex hormone dependent monocarboxylate transporter regulation and potential for altered overdose risk in transgender men and women.” The project involved castrating male rats, injecting them with estrogen, removing female rats’ ovaries, injecting them with testosterone, and then administering the rats with GHB.
The White Coat Waste Project obtained the grant application through the Freedom of Information Act, revealing the disturbing details of the research. The project aimed to determine if hormone replacement therapy increased overdose risk in transgender men and women.
Legislators, including Rep. Nancy Mace and Sen. Joni Ernst, have been vocal in their opposition to taxpayer-funded transgender animal research. Rep. Mace highlighted the absurdity of spending over $1 million to study whether female rats receiving testosterone therapy were more likely to overdose on a date rape drug.
Sen. Ernst praised President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency for putting an end to what she called “wacky pseudoscience.” She emphasized the importance of ensuring that taxpayer-funded studies are conducted ethically and responsibly.
In conclusion, the cuts to transgender animal research grants mark a significant victory for advocates of ethical animal testing and responsible use of taxpayer dollars. The White Coat Waste Project’s efforts have brought much-needed attention to the issue, leading to concrete action by the Trump administration to eliminate wasteful spending on controversial experiments.
