Washington (CNN) Education Secretary Betsy DeVos spent three days defending her plan to eliminate Special Olympics funding from next year's budget.
That didn't stop her boss, President Donald Trump, from publicly undermining her on Thursday, when he told reporters that he had "overridden" the proposd cut -- though this is the third year in a row that DeVos had included it in her annual funding request to Congress.
"The Special Olympics will be funded. I just told my people, I want to fund the Special Olympics and I just authorized a funding of the Special Olympics," Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for a rally in Michigan.
He continued, "I've been to the Special Olympics. I think it's incredible and I just authorized a funding. I heard about it this morning. I have overridden my people. We're funding the Special Olympics."
Trump has been known to contradict his top aides and officials,
sometimes while they're in the room, when he disagrees with their positions or their messaging.
After Trump spoke, DeVos immediately released a statement saying:
"I am pleased and grateful the President and I see eye-to-eye on this issue and that he has decided to fund our Special Olympics grant. This is funding I have fought for behind the scenes over the last several years."