Stephen Miller blames 'the media' for confusion over Trump’s federal funding freeze

President Donald Trump’s White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Stephen Miller, is attributing the American public’s confusion — including among state and federal lawmakers — about a memo from the Office of Management and Budget, which ordered a freeze on potentially trillions of dollars in federal funding, with limited specifics, to what he claims is false reporting from “left-wing media outlets.”

Many have suggested the freeze itself is unlawful, citing the U.S. Constitution vesting the power of the purse with Congress, not the president, a 1974 federal law, and a 1975 U.S. Supremer Court case. Late Tuesday afternoon a federal judge issued a short, temporary block on a portion of the freeze, CNN reported.

But the language in the memo is confusing, many say. In fact, some attribute what appears to be a nationwide shutdown of Medicaid portals across the country to the memo’s vagueness.

“I can’t help it if left-wing media outlets published a fake news story that caused confusion,” Miller told Tapper.

“We just talked to Congressman Don Bacon, a Republican, a Trump supporter. We just interviewed him,” CNN’s Jake Tapper told Miller. “He said that there was a lot of confusion. He said that the executive —”

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“Yes,” Miller interjected. “Created by the by the media, Jake,” Miller interjected. “The OMB guidance memo, if you read it, is as clear as day.”

Calling it “confusingly written,” CNN’s Jake Tapper said, “Parts of it are about DEI, parts are about disbursement.”

“Yeah, DEI’s suspended,” Miller replied. “It is, yeah, DEI’s suspended. That is correct.”

“Right, no, I’m just saying, like it’s kind of all over the map and there is confusion and it’s not just liberal media,” Tapper replied.

“I’m saying that a false story was put out that people responded to. It’s unfortunate that the people put out a false story. That’s all I’m saying, Jake,” Miller alleged.

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Critics blasted Miller.

“If yesterday’s OMB memo was ‘as clear as day,’ why would OMB put out a new memo today that contradicted it in key respects?” asked Eric Columbus, a former DOJ and DHS appointee.

MSNBC columnist Michael A. Cohen added, “Miller says the OMB memo is clear as day … the OMB memo refers to government programs that are part of the green new deal. The green new deal is not part of US law.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

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The OMB memo, as published by The Washington Post, can be read here.

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This article has been updated to add new quotes from Miller and an expanded video.

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