# @occupydemocrats on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DVzQP8rCNez
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/59508307-occupydemocrats-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/ad1824987c.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-03-12T22:19:03.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Occupy Democrats (@occupydemocrats) — https://gondola.cc/occupydemocrats

## Caption

🚨 BREAKING: Shocking testimony reveals how Trump’s controversial #DOGE initiative decided which federal research grants lived — and which were wiped out.

Under oath, DOGE staffer Nathan Cavanaugh admitted that he and a colleague personally labeled several academic grants as the “craziest” they had seen and canceled them — despite having no experience in grant review, federal research funding, or scholarly peer review.

When asked why one research project was targeted, Cavanaugh didn’t cite fraud, waste, or flawed methodology. His explanation? The project mentioned “feminist and queer insights.” That alone was enough. Another grant studying marginalized military veterans — including women, Black service members, Native Americans, immigrants, and #LGBTQ troops — was also canceled because the description “explicitly says LGBTQ.”

When the lawyer asked whether Cavanaugh had any background in scholarly peer review or grant evaluation, his answer was simple: “No.” When asked whether it was appropriate for someone with no experience to decide the fate of federal research funding, he said a person could make those decisions by being “well-informed” from reading books.

The obvious follow-up question: Which books?
Cavanaugh’s answer: “There were no books.”

Even more striking, earlier in the deposition he defended the cuts as necessary to reduce the federal deficit. But when pressed on whether the cancellations actually reduced the deficit, he admitted they did not.

So according to sworn testimony, federal research funding was canceled by people with no expertise, no training, and no peer-review experience, simply because certain projects referenced LGBTQ issues or feminism.

And the people making those decisions say they see nothing wrong with that.

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## Tags

doge, lgbtq

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