Many in Washington are left scratching their heads at the announcement that the White House is rescinding the official Office of Management and Budget order freezing some federal aid and grant money, while also maintaining that the federal money will not be spent. Judges are already hearing lawsuits from organizations and states on the matter. 

The OMB memo, issued on Monday night, was meant to halt the disbursement of federal assistance and grants in order to ensure that the spending would not violate his “executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.” Just four minutes before that memo was due to take effect on Tuesday, a federal judge blocked the order for one week while she hears more substantive challenges, though that is now moot because the memo itself has been rescinded. 

The rescission of the OMB order came on Wednesday afternoon, and was first reported by the Washington Post. Many believed that the funds would then flow freely without issue, though the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt then clarified that some money would still be halted. 

“This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze. It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo,” Ms. Leavitt wrote on X. “Why? To end any confusion created by the court’s injunction. The President’s EO’s on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.”

Ms. Leavitt’s statement then had many people questioning the legal authority to halt the funds without OMB action. Democrats have said that the withholding of any federal funds is blatantly illegal regardless of what one agency does or does not say. 

“I don’t know that they know what they’re doing. I think all they know is they got a backlash they didn’t expect, and so we’re not assuming the rescission is to be taken as a resolution,” Senator Kaine told reporters on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. “We’re expecting that this battle is just beginning.”

“I’m trying to get a little clarity. I thought the rescission order was very clear. It’s just one sentence, right? So what I’m not clear on is, is the … comment that came from the White House spokesperson,” Senator Murkowski told reporters, echoing her colleague’s comments. 

State officials said they will still see Mr. Trump’s representatives in court despite the lack of clarity about what the new spending orders mean. 

“Now it looks like the White House rescinded its rescission? We’ll see them in court this afternoon,” Arizona attorney general Kris Mayes wrote on X. 

“This is just more confusion and chaos,” New York attorney general Letitia James said in response to Ms. Leavitt’s statement. 

The states that took Mr. Trump’s OMB to court on Wednesday ultimately won when district court Judge Jack McConnell blocked any halt of funds from