A New York Times investigation by Dave Phillips found that a legal loophole allows wild horses to be sold by the Bureau of Land Management and then exported for slaughter.
Posted by Bulwark Takes, Checked
- Sources
- 5 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 75%
Bulwark TakesAug 21, 2026
The sources consistently report that a New York Times investigation by Dave Phillips (spelled Philipps in one source) found a BLM sale loophole that let wild horses be sold cheaply and then exported for slaughter.
What was said
… This is actually very terrifying to me, so I'm very happy to talk about it, and I think we're going to talk about why JBL is apparently pro loneliness, which I did not know, but let's play that ad first. This episode is sponsored by The New York Times. This week, a new New York Times investigation by Dave Phillips uncovered how a legal loophole could allow thousands of America's wild horses to be sent to slaughter under the Trump administration. The reporting you depend on, that this show depends on, started long before that headline. They gather all of the facts, find the story, and distill it all down so you can learn what matters most in minutes. …
Bulwark Takes · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. PolitiFact reports that the NYT found the Bureau of Land Management's actions created a loophole leading to cheap sales of horses to buyers who resell them for export alive and processing abroad.[1]
Supports. A congressional GAO audit request (a primary document) cites recent NYT reporting detailing how changes in BLM wild horse management could exploit a legal loophole to move horses into the slaughter pipeline.[3]
Supports. A Salt Lake Tribune article republishing the NYT investigation reports that the loophole lets mustangs be sold cheaply and resold for export, with livestock inspection records showing sold horses ending up on trucks bound for slaughter plants in Canada.[4]
Supports. Coverage by Hindustan Times and Ag Daily attributes the investigation to Dave Phillips and describes the same loophole and sales to slaughter-bound buyers.[5][6]
Context. The Snopes piece addresses a separate Project 2025 rumor but confirms the NYT story alleged that protected wild horses were being sold to slaughterhouses. The BLM responded with a statement on adoption and sale but did not dispute the loophole.[2][7]
Sources
7 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 1 primary, 4 not rated
- 1US isn't importing horse meat and selling it as beef in ... - PolitiFactpolitifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Project 2025 recommended culling wild horses. Here's whysnopes.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 3titus.house.gov › uploadedfiles › final_request_forSeptember 10, 2026 Acting Comptroller General of the United ...titus.house.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 4Under Trump, protected wild horses are going to slaughtersltrib.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Is Trump really 'selling' wild horses to slaughterhouses? ...hindustantimes.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6BLM responds to wild horse slaughter allegationsagdaily.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Bureau of Land Management responds to allegations they helped sell wild horses to slaughterhousesabc4.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post