Trump has 'overridden' his administration to fund the Special Olympics

President Trump on Thursday said he had "overridden my people" and decided to fund the Special Olympics, reports CBS News.

The announcement is a reversal of his administration's previous position: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos proposed slashing the $17.6 million federal appropriation for the Special Olympics this week, drawing a backlash from both sides of the aisle, per The Washington Post.

Trump's own re-election campaign spokesman defended the move on Thursday, arguing that the Special Olympics is a "private charity" that wouldn't be significantly affected by the cut. Per its most recent available financial information, federal grants account for about 10 percent of the Special Olympics' annual budget of around $150 million.

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Though Congress will ultimately authorize the final budget, Trump told reporters he had instructed his administration to reinstate the money, saying "the Special Olympics will be funded."

DeVos said she is "pleased and grateful the president and I see eye-to-eye on this issue," per NBC News. "This is funding I have fought for behind-the-scenes over the last several years," she said. DeVos previously condemned media outlets for spinning up "falsehoods" about her suggestion to strip the funding, while simultaneously confirming the proposal. "The federal government cannot fund every worthy program, particularly ones that enjoy robust support from private donations," she said at the time.