‘DOGE isn’t real’: Trump reverses course once again after 9/11 first responders condemn Musk’s gutting of medial treatment funding

Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s controversial decision to make cuts to the federal workforce has been a disaster so far. Just look at some of the policies the president has signed off on and you’ll quickly come to understand this strategy is not only heartless, but dangerous too.

Last month Musk and DOGE caused outrage when it was announced plans for 20% of staff working at the World Trade Center Health Program to be fired. There would also be cuts to 9/11 cancer research. The WTC Health Program was set up to provide medical treatment and monitoring for 9/11 responders suffering from WTC-related illnesses, why anyone would even think to defend Trump and Musk for making cuts to the service is beyond me.

As you can imagine, many were rightfully disgusted by the policy, and none were more upset by the move than the first responders who put their lives on the line back in 2001 and are still feeling the effects of that dreadful day even now.

First responders rallied to protest the Trump policy

A group of those first responders took it upon themselves to call out Trump and Musk for such a cold and uncaring decision. 9/11 responder and advocate, John Feal gave an impassioned speech in which he blasted the federal cuts to the WTC Health Program, saying, “DOGE is not real, f*** Elon Musk.” He then called up others who were there on that day to stand by him, pointing out how so many responders are suffering from illnesses. “This is real. People are sick and people are dying.”

The clip was shared to X via The Tennessee Holler and it was later shared to Reddit and other social media sites, too. On Reddit, many sympathised with the group. One individual wrote, “Trump never cared about 9/11,” while another called it, “One of the most disgraceful things showing how broken the government is.”

Donald Trump eventually reversed the decision

As public pressure mounted and even Trump’s own party started criticizing the policy, the president eventually gave in and reversed the cuts. Feal reportedly praised the decision saying, “The White House underestimated us.”

Were Trump and Musk honestly surprised by the pushback they received from such an objectively bad decision? Are they that out of touch that they thought the American people would agree with these cuts? I thought we were supposed to “never forget?” Then again, we’re talking about the man who bragged about having the tallest building in Manhattan after the towers collapsed.

Trump’s policies are despicable and dangerous

Sure, the cuts to the WTC Health Program were reversed because they were so unbelievably evil, but how many other policies just like that do we think are getting through all the time without as much fanfare? If Trump tried to get away with this, what else could he attempt? In February, he fired hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration employees, and in the days that followed we saw a spike in aviation accidents. These cuts are putting lives at risk, either directly or indirectly, and Trump and Musk need to be held accountable.