White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday clarified that an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo that went out Monday night is intended to target government programs that do not align with the new presidential administration, and will not impact direct assistance like Social Security and Medicare.

The memo, which was originally expected to take effect on Tuesday evening, encompasses a slew of government assistance programs including foreign aid. The halt could still impact lower-income households that rely on Medicaid, school breakfast and lunch programs; and Section 8 rental assistance.

“This is not a blanket pause on federal assistance," Leavitt told reporters in her first briefing. “Individual assistance, that includes … Social Security benefits, Medicare benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits, assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause.”

Leavitt claimed the new administration would be “good stewards of taxpayer dollars," and already have blocked millions from going to the World Health Organization and other liberal policies that do not align with President Donald Trump's agenda.

“What does this pause mean? It means no more funding for illegal DEI programs,” the press secretary said. “It means no more funding for the Green New Scam that has cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. It means no more funding for transgenderism and wokeness across our federal bureaucracy and agencies, no more funding for Green New Deal social engineering policies.”

Democratic attorneys general in six states have announced that they will sue the Trump administration to block the order.

“There is no question this policy is reckless, dangerous, illegal, and unconstitutional,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said, per the New York Post. “This policy will disrupt the lives of millions of Americans in New York and nationwide.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.