| | | | |  | | By Nahal Toosi, Eric Bazail-Eimil and Robbie Gramer | | 
In a communication sent Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said aid groups may keep using U.S. funds for “life-saving humanitarian assistance.” | Jacquelyn Martin/AP | With help from Maggie Miller, Daniel Lippman and Irie Sentner Subscribe here | Email Robbie | Email Eric The humanitarian aid world started out shocked, but now it’s just really confused. Secretary of State MARCO RUBIO’s decision to grant more exceptions to a blanket new Trump administration foreign aid freeze has brought some relief to the humanitarian community, but many in that world are still trying to understand what the new waivers truly encompass and how much of their work fits. In a communication sent Tuesday, Rubio said aid groups may keep using U.S. funds for “life-saving humanitarian assistance.” That “applies to core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance.” Rubio said the waiver does not cover work related to abortions, family planning conferences, gender or DEl programs, gender-affirming care, or other so-called “non-life saving assistance.” (U.S. law has for decades banned any foreign aid from being used to provide or promote abortion as a method of family planning.) The waiver was previously reported by Reuters. A congressional aide and a humanitarian official told NatSec Daily that the move clearly broadened the exceptions beyond the emergency food assistance initially exempted from the freeze. But there were still questions, they and others said. For example, what counts as “subsistence,” a second humanitarian official asked. Does it include personal sanitation products? Iodine pills to clean water? Does cash assistance meant to help recipients buy food count under the waiver? Adding to the confusion is the pointed exclusion of “non-life saving assistance,” the official said. “A lot of groups are being conservative because there's liability there, from a financial standpoint,” the official said. A former U.S. Agency for International Development official said it wasn’t clear if PEPFAR, a global HIV/AIDS relief program, was covered by the waiver language because of technical questions involving its funding sources and how the State Department legally defines life-saving aid. The congressional aide noted that because the Trump team has put so many top USAID officials on leave, getting answers to questions is even harder. Asked for comment, the State Department pointed to a Q&A released by spokesperson TAMMY BRUCE today that said aid groups should work with U.S. government partners to see if they qualify for waivers. Despite the partial backtracking, Rubio’s team is already touting success in saving taxpayer funds on the foreign aid freeze. “In just a few days, the Department received billions of dollars in waiver requests. Many of those requests are still under a merit-based review as they are not considered emergency or life-threatening; however, even at this early stage, over $1,000,000,000 in spending not aligned with an America First agenda has been prevented,” Bruce wrote in the Q&A. NatSec Daily is unable to verify how much spending was blocked and what the administration defines as improper spending. But some officials say the new Q&A doesn’t provide enough direction to override the uncertainty. “Everyone has questions we’re scrambling to get answered on what aid can be sent when because lives are literally on the line and the clock is ticking,” said one State Department official working on foreign aid issues. This official, like others we spoke to, was granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The whiplash around the foreign aid freeze mirrors another big Trump administration move on the domestic front: The issuing of a sweeping pause on all federal grants on Monday. The action caused widespread confusion over the impact on U.S.-focused programs such as funding for schools and low-income families. Then today that order was rescinded.
| | | | Power shifts, razor-thin margins, and a high-stakes agenda. We’ve transformed our coverage—more reporters, more timely insights, and unmatched policy scoops. From leadership offices to committee rooms, caucus meetings, and beyond, our expert reporting keeps you ahead of the decisions that matter. Subscribe to our Inside Congress newsletter today. | | | | | | | WITKOFF VISITS GAZA: Presidential special envoy for the Middle East STEVE WITKOFF is in Israel today, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU and visiting the Gaza Strip. Witkoff’s visit to Gaza, the first such visit from a top U.S. official since fighting stopped in the enclave earlier this month, came on the heels of a stop in Riyadh, where he met with a senior adviser to Palestinian leader MAHMOUD ABBAS and top Saudi officials. It’s the latest signal from the region that talks between Israel and Hamas to secure a permanent cease-fire in Gaza are coming into focus. Earlier this week, Qatari Prime Minister MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL THANI told an Israeli television station he’s expecting peace talks will resume soon. GABBARD’S GAMBIT: President DONALD TRUMP’s pick to be director of national intelligence, TULSI GABBARD, went to extensive lengths to get ahead of coverage of her ties to a controversial Hindu sect. Per The Wall Street Journal’s BRETT FORREST, CAITLIN OSTROFF and REBECCA FENG, Gabbard’s congressional campaign hired a D.C. public affairs firm in 2017 to bury coverage of an alleged pyramid scheme connected to the Science of Identity Foundation, a Hindu sect she grew up in. They write that the operation was directed by a Science of Identity follower and longtime Gabbard adviser. Gabbard heads to her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday. Gabbard is facing more resistance than other nominees from Republicans who worry about her past statements on U.S. adversaries like Syria and Russia, and her lack of experience for the influential intelligence role. Still, the Trump administration is standing by her. CONDOM BOMBS IN GAZA? Trump reiterated dubious claims today that the U.S. was providing $50 million worth of condoms as part of its Gaza aid efforts, and added a particularly surprising detail. At a White House ceremony for the signing of the Laken Riley Act, Trump said that “we identified and stopped $50 million being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas,” He then went on to say: “And you know what's happening to them? They've used them as a method of making bombs.” It’s the second time claims about condoms sent to Gaza were made by a top U.S. official this week. At a press briefing on Tuesday, White House spokesperson KAROLINE LEAVITT said “there was about to be $50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza.” A USAID report issued last April on its deliveries of contraceptives worldwide makes no mention of any money being used to ship condoms or other contraceptives to Gaza. Various outlets, including CNN, have thrown cold water on the claims, noting that total funding for distributing the contraceptives is lower than the total Leavitt and Trump said. The Middle East also doesn’t receive any condoms as part of foreign aid. It’s also unclear how exactly the rubber prophylactics would be used to create explosive devices. Then there’s the math of it all. As former Biden USAID official JEREMY KONYNDYK said on X: “USAID procures condoms for around $0.05 apiece. $50m would be ONE BILLION condoms. What's going is here is NOT a billion condoms for Gaza. What's going on is that the bros at DOGE apparently can't read govt spreadsheets.” IT’S WEDNESDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at rgramer@politico.com and ebazail@politico.com, and follow Robbie and Eric on X @RobbieGramer and @ebazaileimil. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s global security team: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, and @johnnysaks130
| | CYBER PURA VIDA: The government of Costa Rica is working with the Trump administration to turn the taps of U.S. cyber aid for the nation back on following the freeze earlier this week on U.S. foreign aid spending, as our own MAGGIE MILLER writes in. The State Department gave Costa Rica $25 million in 2023 to help enhance its government’s cybersecurity following major ransomware attacks that disabled government services in 2022. However, these funds have been frozen, PAULA BOGANTES ZAMORA, head of the Costa Rican Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications, confirmed to Maggie on Wednesday, something the minister said she is working to change. “We are coordinating with the new administration, as well as all officials who stayed and have been part of this project, to ensure that all good results are being shared for a, hopefully soon, reactivation,” Bogantes Zamora said, adding that some work on the group continues. A source with knowledge of the situation told Maggie earlier this week that the State Department's Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Technology was “working on waivers and exemptions” to the freeze. The minister visited Washington during the final days of the Biden administration in December, and told Maggie at the time that the funds were used to switch to non-Chinese-made technologies, and had made cybersecurity a massive priority for the Costa Rican government.
| | SILICON VALLEY’S NEW TOYS: A tech startup is raising hundreds of millions of dollars in the hopes of developing new hypersonic strike weapons. As The Wall Street Journal’s HEATHER SOMERVILLE reports, defense-tech startup Castelion raised $70 million from venture investors and took on $30 million in debt to fund a new manufacturing plant and sell high-tech weapons to the U.S. military. Castelion is one of the latest venture capital-funded newcomers to enter the once-staid defense manufacturing sector. These companies are making moves as hopes have emerged that with Trump in the White House and tech mogul ELON MUSK in the president’s ear, smaller firms could break through the dominance of large defense manufacturers and tap into an incredibly profitable market. “There will be more support for awarding contracts to nontraditional players,” said SEAN PITT, Castelion’s co-founder. The administration has given the Pentagon “the freedom to lean into new companies.”
| | REED SLAMS TRUMP: The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee is furious at the Trump administration for revoking a security detail for former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff MARK MILLEY. It comes in the face of alleged Iranian assassination plots targeting former senior U.S. officials. “It is unconscionable and recklessly negligent for President Trump and Secretary Hegseth to revoke General Milley's security detail for their own political satisfaction. The Administration has placed Milley and his family in grave danger, and they have an obligation to immediately restore his federal protection,” Sen. JACK REED (D-R.I.) said in a statement. AIR FORCE GENERAL SCANDAL: An Air Force inspector general report is alleging that an Air Force general tasked with leading the service’s legislative office had inappropriate relationships with multiple women working on Capitol Hill. As our own SAM SKOVE writes, the report says that Maj. Gen. CHRISTOPHER FINERTY engaged in “sexual, inappropriate or unprofessional relationships” with multiple women. Finerty, in testimony, referred to two of the Capitol Hill women as “not in anyone’s chain of command” and “not in the same branch of government,” as him. Finerty left his role in June 2023 and retired from the Air Force. Through his lawyer, Finerty “adamantly denies that any aspect of his personal life hindered the mission of the Air Force in any way.”
| | CHINESE MEDDLING, EN CASTELLANO: A Chinese social media influence operation targeted Spanish users on social media and promoted calls to topple the central government in Madrid, Reuters reports. A Graphika report shared with Reuters says that Spamouflage, a group believed to be linked to the Chinese government, posed this month as a human rights group and spread online calls for overthrowing the government in response to catastrophic floods in October that killed 224 people. China denies ties to Spamouflage, which has operated in various countries including the United States and Canada since 2017. The meddling campaign in Spain would be the latest escalation of the group’s activities, per Graphika, as it has never previously lobbied to unseat a government.
| | — NICOLE BIBBINS SEDACA will be the Kelly and David Pfeil fellow at the George W. Bush Institute. She previously was executive vice president of Freedom House. — WestExec Advisors is adding MICHAEL HOROWITZ and HARRY KREJSA as senior advisers. Horowitz previously was deputy assistant secretary of Defense for force development and emerging capabilities. Krejsa previously was assistant director of the Office of the National Cyber Director. — The Atlantic Council announced that TRESSA GUENOV joined the think tank in November as the new director of programs and operations and senior fellow within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Guenov previously served as principal deputy assistant secretary of Defense for international security affairs.
| | — LUIS SIMÓN, War on the Rocks: The Trump administration vs the ‘Axis of Upheaval’? — Le Monde: Europe's gamble in Syria — KYLE BALZER, National Review: An American ‘Iron Dome’ would help the U.S. — and our allies
| | — Senate Armed Services Committee, 9:30 a.m.: A hearing on the nomination of DANIEL P. DRISCOLL to be secretary of the Army — Senate Judiciary Committee, 9:30 a.m.: A hearing on the nomination of KASH PATEL to be director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation — Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 10 a.m.: A hearing on the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 10 a.m.: AFRICOM at 17: Shaping U.S.-Africa relations — Wilson Center Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies, 10 a.m.: Belarus after its presidential election — Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 10:30 a.m.: The malign influence of the People's Republic of China at home and abroad: Recommendations for policy makers — Georgetown University's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, 1 p.m.: In the aftermath of the Syrian Revolution — Wilson Center, 1:30 p.m.: Charting a path forward: Policy response to Sudan war and its multifaceted impact Thanks to our editor, Rosie Perper, who should hire a D.C. public relations firm to hide the skeletons in her closet. Thanks to our producers, Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing and Gregory Svirnovskiy, whose records are spotless and impeccable.
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