President Donald Trump is vowing to fund the Special Olympics, pushing back against a proposal to defund the organization.
Speaking to reporters Thursday as he left the White House for a rally in Michigan , Trump said he had authorized funding for the Special Olympics.
“I heard about it this morning,” he said. “I have overridden my people. We’re funding the Special Olympics.”
Trump’s announcement came after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos spent days defending the proposal , which drew widespread condemnation from lawmakers as well as advocates and celebrities. The president’s intervention reflected a political desire to move away from a plan that was not expected to pass Congress.
Said Trump: “I’ve been to the Special Olympics. I think it’s incredible.”
DeVos issued a statement, saying: “I am pleased and grateful the President and I see eye to eye on this issue and that he has decided to fund our Special Olympics grant. This is funding I have fought for behind the scenes over the last several years.”
The remarks were a sharp contrast from her comments to Senate Democrats in a budget hearing earlier in the day. DeVos said her department had to make “tough choices” on the budget and insisted the Special Olympics should be supported through private donations.
In a heated exchange with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., DeVos said she “wasn’t personally involved” in pushing for elimination of the funding, but she defended it as her agency seeks to cut $7 billion for the 2020 budget. “Let’s not use disabled children in a twisted way for your political narrative,” she said.
The Trump administration’s education budget proposal called for the elimination of $17.6 million in funding for the Special Olympics, amounting to roughly 10 percent of the group’s overall revenue. Most of its funding comes from individual and corporate contributions and other fundraising efforts.
The Special Olympics is the largest sports organization in the world for people with intellectual disabilities, with over 5 million athletes from 174 countries participating in competitions while spreading a global message of inclusion and empowerment. The organization celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
Officials previously called for the elimination of Special Olympics funding in their budget proposal for 2019, but Congress rejected the idea. Lawmakers from both parties said they would reject it again for 2020.
Asked Thursday whether he supports the proposed cut, House Minority Leader Kevin, McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters, “No. I fully support Special Olympics.”
Before Trump’s announcement his campaign sought to point out Democrats hypocrisy. Deputy Communications Director Matt Wolking tweeted Thursday: “I’m sure Democrats who see abortion as the cure for Down syndrome and other disabilities are sincerely concerned about kids having the chance to be in the Special Olympics.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article