Trump's claim about Biden admin wasting money on 'transgender mice' in Congress speech sparks meme fest

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump accused former President Joe Biden's administration of wasting taxpayer money on research involving "transgender mice" during his first address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, March 4. 

Soon, netizens and news outlets pointed out that Trump possibly misspoke by referring to "transgenic" mice as "transgender" mice. Transgenic is the correct term for genetically modified animals used for research purposes.

While the White House later provided clarification on what the president meant, by then, his remake about "making mice transgender" had already ignited an online frenzy of memes and reactions.

Donald Trump cracks up Congress with his 'making mice transgender' comment

Donald Trump's speech took an unexpected turn when he accused the Biden administration of allocating $8 million for research that involved "making mice transgender," as per NPR.

The president, with his signature sarcasm, said, "This is real," stressing that taxpayer funds were being wasted on what he deemed unnecessary research.

Republican lawmakers laughed in approval as he spoke, with some applauding his criticism of the spending. His comments were linked to spending cuts proposed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative supported by Republicans to eliminate what they perceive as frivolous government spending.

While specifics were not provided, his remarks appeared to echo discussions led by Rep Nancy Mace (R-SC), whose subcommittee held a hearing titled, "Transgender lab rats and poisoned puppies: Oversight of taxpayer-funded animal cruelty," in February. 

In that hearing, Mace cited a report from the White Coat Waste Project, an advocacy group that opposes animal testing, which claimed more than $10 million had been spent on studies involving transgender mice, rats, and monkeys in university labs.

Trump's comment seemed to reference these findings, though he did not delve into further details and moved on to alleged millions spent on "Arab Sesame Street in the Middle East" and "lavish fish monitoring."

None of the six studies listed in the White House release were conducted to "make mice transgender," as claimed by Trump. One was about the interaction between hormone therapy and HIV vaccinations, while another sought to research whether testosterone therapy could affect breast cancer rates.

The release also highlighted a study that used "transgenic" mice to explore how androgens might influence fertility in transgender men.

Donald Trump's 'transgender mice' statement quickly became fodder for memes

Donald Trump's remark about the Biden administration allocating $8 million for research that involved "making mice transgender," turned out to be the perfect fodder for memes and hilarious reactions. 

One meme showed animated mice in sequin clothes and rainbow-colored hair, captioned, "Should we really give up on the Transgender 🏳️‍⚧️ Mice 🐁 Clay?" poking fun at the absurdity of the claim.

Further adding to the online frenzy, a meme inspired by the video game 'The Witcher' featured the word "chaos" flashing on the screen, with the caption, "The throughline of Trump's policymaking in one word/meme," mocking the confusion and unpredictability associated with the administration’s policies.

One post made light of the irony in Trump's own speech, featuring a caption that read, "Trump: Free speech is back. Trump then ordered a Democrat removed!" This was accompanied by a GIF of a man looking completely baffled, with the word "bruh" superimposed, further underlining the contradictions in the president's speech.

One meme featured a woman nodding, with the text reading, "Can't fix stupids." The caption of the meme echoed the same sentiment, saying, "#MAGAMorons and their cult leader."

This meme, like many others, humorously criticized supporters of Trump, often using exaggerated or satirical visuals to make a point about their political alignment or behavior.

A critic responded with "Lol; so funny...." alongside a GIF from the Amazon Prime Video show 'Harlem', which had the text, "You know we don't believe you, right?" The critic used this to sarcastically dismiss the claim, suggesting it probably wasn't credible.

An X user shared a video of three mice dancing with visible signs of happiness, accompanied by the caption, "Mice after receiving gender affirming surgery."

Along with attaching a meme of a mouse wearing a scarf with the trans colors, an individual wrote, "It’s transgenic studies on mice for cancer research you f**king moron tRump!!! Not transgender! You cannot read or comprehend the English language! JFC."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.