Exposed: Trump's 'secretive' scheme to pilfer medical research funds

U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a meeting with travel executives in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 2, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

On Thursday, Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee revealed that the Department of Defense is attempting to divert billions of dollars from the National Institutes of Health to supplement the Pentagon budget issues caused by President Donald Trump's war with Iran. This is according to a report in which ranking member Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) revealed the effort, which has been undertaken "without notifying Congress."

According to the report, "DoD has signed an interagency agreement that could give the Department access to billions of dollars that Congress provided to NIH for critical biomedical research. These funds were provided to support research to develop treatments or cures for infectious diseases such as influenza, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, Ebola, and other dangerous pathogens." Trump-appointed officials at NIH disclosed the scheme only after being pressed for information by House Appropriations Committee Democrats.

“This secretive attempt to siphon research funds away from NIH is outrageous. The interagency agreement needs to be terminated immediately,” said DeLauro. “These funds were provided for lifesaving medical research, not as extra money for the Department of Defense. It is no secret that the Department of Defense is facing enormous financial pressure because of President Trump’s war of choice with Iran. But the Trump administration cannot make American patients, families, and scientists pay the price. Circumventing Congress to divert money intended to help Americans who are exposed to HIV, influenza, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases — and directing those funds to the Department of Defense — is beyond the pale. DoD already has programs, funded by Congress, to research and develop medical countermeasures to chemical, biological, and nuclear threats, and does not need NIH funding to do so. The administration must provide Congress with a full accounting of how this interagency agreement was developed and exactly how much taxpayer money it is trying to transfer to DoD.”

As DeLauro suggested, it's been public knowledge that the Pentagon is running out of money for daily operations since reporting revealed the problem in July. The Defense budget has been strained by the war in Iran, which has resulted in the delay of base repairs, the reduction of training exercises, and other cuts. While Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has requested $67 billion in supplemental funds, Congress has yet to approve it, though it did just pass a stopgap bill that will fund essential security and defense programs through December 11. In the meantime, DeLauro's bombshell report suggests that the Pentagon is desperate to find money elsewhere.

According to Punchbowl News reporter Samantha Handler, "This is the kind of thing Approps Dems will surely be investigating/going after if Dems take the majority next Congress."

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