The administration of US President Donald Trump has officially announced the termination of more than 90% of foreign aid programs funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The announcement was made in a court document filed on February 26, CNN reports.
- In total, nearly 5,800 USAID programs have been terminated, while more than 500 have been saved.
- The total maximum value of the saved grants is approximately $57 billion.
- In addition to the reduction in USAID funding, about 4,100 State Department programs have been terminated, while about 2,700 have been saved.
- At the same time, the administration says another 297 contracts need to be reviewed.
This information is contained in a response to a lawsuit challenging the general termination of foreign aid. According to the documents, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the final decision on each program individually, maintaining or terminating it in accordance with the national interests and foreign policy of the United States. At the same time, the plaintiffs deny that Rubio personally reviewed all the decisions, pointing out that it is impossible to do so in such a short period of time.
The sweeping cuts to foreign aid programs have dealt a significant blow to nonprofits and contractors around the world. Many humanitarian programs have come to a virtual standstill as funding has been frozen and billions of dollars in budgets have been revised.
The Trump administration has also furloughed or fired most USAID employees. These measures are part of the federal government's cost-cutting policies, actively supported by Trump ally Elon Musk.
Musk-led decision
On January 20, Trump ordered a 90-day review of all foreign aid programs and called for their immediate suspension until the review is completed. This led to the freezing of thousands of projects abroad and the firing of a large number of USAID employees as part of the Musk-led "government efficiency" initiative.
As a reminder, the White House has just appointed Amy Gleason as acting administrator of the so-called Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE).
The appointment came amid lawsuits over the activities of the department, which gained access to U.S. payment systems and sensitive government data. Media speculate that Gleason will now become the main target of the lawsuits, potentially shielding Elon Musk from them.
The Trump administration continues to evade a clear answer to the question of who officially heads DOGE. Previously, the White House said that Elon Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur, was working as a "special envoy" in President Donald Trump's administration.
