White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Social Security, Medicare and food stamps would not be affected by the decision to freeze federal aid. NBC News’ Sahil Kapur reports on the Trump administration’s first White House press briefing and whether Medicaid could be among the programs affected.

The Trump administration has put a hold on all federal financial grants and loans, affecting tens of billions of dollars in payments.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the pause on federal financial assistance will not include food stamps, Social Security, or Medicare and welfare benefits.

President Donald Trump’s pause on federal grants and loans has agencies and individuals scrambling as the fallout continues.

The White House is claiming the Wednesday move by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rescinding a controversial order that froze a wide swath of federal financial assistance is not actually an end to curbing government spending.

The order sparked uncertainty over a crucial financial lifeline for states, schools and organizations that rely on trillions of dollars from Washington.

President Donald Trump's order to pause all federal grants and loans sowed widespread confusion on Tuesday over its impact on far-reaching programs such as Medicaid, sending nonprofits and government agencies scrambling to understand its scope and prompting immediate legal challenges.