'Most incompetent thing': Experts dumbfounded by perceived shambles of funding freeze

Social media lit up after news broke that the Trump administration's Office of Management and Budget rescinded its order to freeze all federal grants and loans after a judge temporarily blocked the order this week.

The White House released the brief memo Wednesday saying simply, "OMB Memorandum M-25-13 is rescinded."

A coalition of Democratic attorneys general from 22 states and the District of Columbia had filed suit against the federal government, with New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin telling CNN Wednesday that the freeze would put an end to programs that benefit things like seniors' health care, kids' education, and law enforcement.

"I got a notice yesterday that they were freezing all funding for drug cartel trafficking enforcement. He defunded the police!" Platkin said.

Trump's order Tuesday had left Americans with more questions than answers, and the White House moved quietly to rescind it Wednesday — without making any statement to the press.

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On social media, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called it "Trump's first major loss." She continued, "When we fight, we win. We may not have majorities in the House and the Senate, but we DO have the power to loudly educate and mobilize against the mass looting the Trump admin is attempting against our veterans, healthcare, education, and more."

CNN commentator Bakari Sellers wrote, "They govern like this is SIMS. Ineptitude."

The anti-Trump Republican group The Lincoln Project wrote, "Trump backed down. This is a win. It's what happens when we fight back."

Punchbowl's Jake Sherman wrote, "This after House Republicans spend all day defending it at their retreat."

MSNBC's Jonathan Lemire wrote: "Amid the firestorm," with a link to a photo of the order.

Politico's Sam Stein summed it up this way: "Trump OMB puts out 2 page memo freezing all grants, Chaos, panic ensues, "OMB puts out 1.5 page Q&A trying to clarify, More confusion, Congressional Republicans defend it all after Dems go off, WH blames media for confusion, OMB puts out one line memo rescinding freeze."

Political pundit Rachel Bitecofer wrote, "The OMB total federal freeze disaster is the most incompetent thing any administration has ever done to itself."

"The White House has reversed the federal funding freeze that it had ordered 48 hours ago. Wheww, what a year," wrote pollster Frank Luntz.