Washington (CNN) Education Secretary Betsy DeVos spent three days defending her plan to eliminate Special Olympics funding from next year's budget.

But that didn't stop her from quickly reversing herself shortly after her boss, President Donald Trump, publicly undermined her position on Thursday, telling reporters that he had "overridden" the proposed 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.

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