President Trump has reiterated his commitment to an ‘America First’ agenda in his second term.
President Trump has confirmed a widespread suspension of foreign aid.
“I imposed a federal hiring freeze, a federal regulation freeze, a foreign aid freeze,” Trump stated at a Las Vegas rally on Saturday. “And I created the new Department of Government Efficiency, and we’re going to have a lot of good people,” he added.
Following his inauguration on Monday, Trump issued an executive order temporarily halting all foreign development assistance programs for 90 days. This pause allows for a review to ensure alignment with his ‘America First’ policy objectives.
Trump’s campaign platform included pledges to curb wasteful spending and prioritize domestic concerns, such as the national debt and combating illegal immigration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly circulated a memo on Saturday, instructing a halt to the distribution of funds through the State Department and USAID, with limited exceptions such as military aid to Israel and Egypt.
In a Wednesday statement, Rubio emphasized, “every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”
While the Pentagon initially indicated that the aid freeze wouldn’t impact arms shipments to Ukraine, several news outlets reported Rubio’s memo lacked specific exemptions for military aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, and NATO allies.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the Biden administration for allocating tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, advocating instead for a swift diplomatic resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.