Donald Trump's recent address to Congress has sparked widespread laughter and controversy after he claimed that the U.S. government spent $8 million on "making mice transgender." This unusual assertion was met with amusement from Republican lawmakers and has since become a viral meme sensation across social media platforms.
Trump's comments were part of a broader discussion on government spending cuts, referencing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative aimed at reducing what Republicans consider frivolous expenditures.
The claim about transgender mice appears to be linked to a subcommittee hearing led by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, titled "Transgender Lab Rats and Poisoned Puppies: Oversight of Taxpayer-Funded Animal Cruelty." During this hearing, a report from the White Coat Waste Project mentioned that over $10 million had been spent on experiments involving transgender mice, rats, and monkeys. However, these studies were actually focused on medical research, such as cancer and asthma, using transgenic mice, genetically modified animals used to model human diseases.
Social media has erupted with memes and jokes about Trump's statement, with users creatively interpreting the idea of "transgender mice." The hashtag #StateOfTheUnion trended on Twitter, featuring humorous takes on the situation, including images and GIFs poking fun at the concept of gender-affirming surgeries for mice. Despite the comedic response, the White House has maintained that Trump's comments were accurate, linking to a webpage listing NIH grants that included studies on hormone therapy and gender-related health issues in mice.
