‘This Should Be Illegal’: CNN’s Phil Mattingly Reports on the Immediate Challenges to Trump’s Sweeping Federal Grants Freeze
CNN anchor Jim Acosta, who is reportedly leaving the network, opened his show on Tuesday reporting on President Donald Trump’s sweeping freeze of federal grants, which was announced the night before.
“We’re live in the CNN Newsroom. I’m Jim Acosta in Washington. Now we begin the hour with CNN’s Phil Mattingly, who joins us now. Phil, this is stunning coming in from the Trump administration. A pause on federal grants and loans. What does it all mean?” Acosta asked.
“Yeah, it’s honestly that’s the question. A lot of people who administer these loans and administer– get these or these grants out the door were asking last night. That’s how surprised people were,” replied Mattingly, adding:
Look, we have seen a number of pauses, particularly on foreign assistance, on issues related to the executive orders that President Trump has signed in the initial days in office. But this is so wide-ranging and so large scale. But I think a lot of people last night, including some career officials in the OMB, were trying to figure out exactly what they were going for.
And the reason why is that the actual two-page memo that was put out and signed by the acting director wasn’t exactly clear on the scope of what this order is going to do. Here’s what we know at this point in time. From talking to probably more than a dozen people over the course of the last 12 hours, all loans and grants from the federal government, federal assistance will be paused. We’re talking about rental assistance, school breakfast and lunch programs, Headstart, federal grants for water infrastructure. What is not included in this is Social Security payments, Medicare payments.
And according to the memo, any payments to individuals, they don’t really define that much further. But the reality right now is there are lawmakers and constitutional lawyers who are saying you shouldn’t be able to do this, this should be illegal and this isn’t under your authority. And the administration very clearly moving forward with this review
“All right. Phil Mattingly, thank you very much. I want to go now to Congressman Mike Quigley of Illinois. Congressman, good to have you on this morning. I do want to ask you about the immigration crackdown that’s in full force right now,” Acosta added, pivoting to his next guest and asking:
We’re going to talk about that in just a moment because it’s happening in your state. But I do want to ask you about Phil Mattingly and what he was just saying a few moments ago about all of these federal assistance programs that are apparently being frozen. We’re not getting a whole lot of information from the administration at this point. But, you know, if I can ask the control room to put that graphic back up on screen that we’re showing some of these programs that might be impacted potentially, I believe we’re talking about Headstart school breakfast and lunch programs.
My goodness, Congressman, these are programs for needy kids, for hungry kids. We’re going to stop giving kids a breakfast. We’re going to stop giving kids a lunch when they need one. That sounds outrageous!
Quigley replied, “You know, it is. I can’t imagine this is what the American people wanted when President Trump said he had a mandate. Kids not eating isn’t a part of any deal, kids being part of a political pawn game. I was just at a food pantry last week where among the concerns of food security is the cuts that are being proposed now, a delay and programs that are barely scraping by. And long-term threats of this. And there was a sign on the door talking about ICE agents coming. And we’re hearing that people are afraid to go to social service agencies because they’re afraid they might get scooped up or their kids might get scooped up. It is the agents of chaos and fear and it’s having its effect.”
Watch above via CNN.
