In the heated arena of X (formerly Twitter), two viral posts have crystallized conservative outrage against the Republican-led Congress, accusing lawmakers of overriding President Trump's fiscal reforms and acting like liberals by prioritizing foreign spending over domestic priorities. On January 12, 2026, @amuse—a prominent right-leaning account with over 500,000 followers—sparked fury with a post slamming Congress for restoring $315 million to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), defying cuts proposed by Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), co-led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
The graphic-laden thread, amassing 25,000+ views and 1,800 likes, labeled NED a "woke agency" for alleged abuses like doxing conservatives, blacklisting media, and pushing DEI and transgender ideology globally. It spotlighted Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-KY) failed amendment to defund it, pinning blame on Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) for the FY2026 State Department appropriations bill.
Building on this, Ann Vandersteel (@annvandersteel), a fiery conservative commentator, escalated the narrative on January 13 with a post decrying Congress's overnight passage of three Democrat-authored bills totaling $1.2 billion in foreign aid, mainly to Africa and Haiti.
Garnering 2,600 likes and 1,300 reposts, she called it an "outright betrayal," noting only about 20 Republicans voted no, with others abstaining or approving. Vandersteel argued this exposes the "uniparty" system, where PACs, lobbyists, and post-office perks corrupt lawmakers, urging beyond primaries to dismantle the "money spigot." These bills, including renewals of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP), passed overwhelmingly—340-54 and 345-45—under Speaker Mike Johnson's leadership, extending trade preferences but involving U.S. funds for foreign economies.
Together, these posts paint a damning picture of Republicans adopting liberal tactics: championing small government in rhetoric but ballooning deficits through unchecked global spending. NED, founded in 1983 as a quasi-governmental entity promoting democracy via civil society grants, has long been criticized by the right as a CIA front for regime change in places like Venezuela and Ukraine.
Trump's FY2026 "skinny budget" slashed it, aligning with DOGE's waste-elimination drive, which has axed 55 contracts worth $1.6 billion.
Yet Congress, wielding appropriations power, restored full funding in the National Security and State Department bill, part of a broader package advancing amid January 30 shutdown threats.
The House report directs NED to report on expenditures but maintains $315 million, consistent with prior years, ignoring Trump's unilateral cuts.
Similarly, the foreign aid votes underscore GOP fiscal hypocrisy. Historically, conservatives favored aid building institutions, not governments—a stance now flipped to liberal-style giveaways amid $38.5 trillion national debt.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), a rare dissenter, new Chairman of the House DOGE Committee, decried ignoring domestic needs like veterans' care.
This ties into DOGE's reforms, exposing fraud as noted by advisor David Sacks, yet Congress applauds Musk publicly while thwarting cuts privately.
With science agencies dodging cuts, lawmakers ignore Trump at multiple agencies.
This saga exemplifies X's power in exposing establishment vs. populist rifts. If Trump vetoes, a shutdown looms; acquiescence risks base alienation. Amid $38 trillion debt, these moves prove Republicans' liberal tilt in practice—globalism over restraint—testing his second-term clout. As Vandersteel prays, "God save America."
