Donald Trump's administration takes action against controversial scientific experiments involving gender transition studies on laboratory animals.
According to Breitbart News, the White Coat Waste Project revealed that the National Institutes of Health terminated two Harvard University grants worth nearly $750,000 that funded transgender experiments on animals.
The terminated grants included a $299,940 study investigating gender-affirming testosterone therapy effects on breast cancer risk, which involved administering testosterone to female mice and removing their ovaries. Another grant worth $442,444, focusing on hormone-mediated sex differences in wound healing, was also canceled despite being scheduled to continue until 2029.
The White Coat Waste Project, a bipartisan government watchdog, has been instrumental in exposing these taxpayer-funded experiments. Their investigation revealed that under the Biden administration, at least $241 million in taxpayer dollars were allocated to studying transgender surgeries and treatments on animals.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer confirmed these findings during a February committee hearing. The experiments involved various animals, including mice, rats, and monkeys, subjected to surgical procedures and hormone therapies to simulate gender transitions.
These revelations prompted significant debate about the ethical implications and scientific necessity of such research. Scientists defended the studies as necessary precursors to human trials, noting that human studies on these subjects could be decades away.
President Trump addressed these experiments during his March 4 joint session of Congress speech, specifically mentioning the $8 million spent on "making mice transgender." This public acknowledgment led to immediate action from his administration.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced the cancellation of several grants for transgender experiments on animals following Trump's address. This decision aligns with the administration's broader effort to reduce government spending on controversial research projects.
Anthony Bellotti, President and Founder of White Coat Waste Project, praised the administration's actions as a victory for both taxpayers and animals. The organization continues to investigate similar ongoing research projects.
The grant terminations represent part of a larger initiative by the Trump administration and DOGE to review and reduce government spending on animal experimentation. So far, they have canceled nine grants totaling over $8 million related to transgender experiments on animals.
Justin Goodman, WCW Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy, provided detailed testimony about these experiments during the Oversight Committee hearing. He emphasized the invasive nature of the procedures performed on laboratory animals.
The watchdog organization has previously exposed other controversial animal experiments, including studies involving beagles and cats that raised significant ethical concerns among lawmakers and the public.
The National Institutes of Health's early termination of these Harvard University grants reflects a shift in research funding priorities under the Trump administration. The decision to halt two major studies - one examining testosterone therapy effects on breast cancer risk and another investigating hormone-mediated wound healing differences - demonstrates the administration's commitment to reviewing and redirecting taxpayer-funded research. The White Coat Waste Project continues its oversight role, identifying and challenging similar experiments while advocating for more stringent accountability measures in animal research funding.
