CNN Analysis: What USAID Does and Why Trump and Musk Want to Shut It Down

2025-02-04 23:34:17Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
What USAID does and why Trump and Musk want to shut it down

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is facing significant changes under President Donald Trump's administration, raising concerns about the future of U.S. foreign assistance.

On January 20, 2025, President Trump imposed a 90-day freeze on foreign assistance, resulting in the suspension of many programs worldwide and the termination of many USAID employees.

Elon Musk, appointed by President Trump to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been a vocal critic of USAID, calling it a “criminal organization” and calling for its dissolution. Musk claims the agency is beyond reform.

Musk claims that the agency is beyond reform and that its funds have been used to fund harmful programs. In this context, the Trump administration has undertaken a broad offensive to cut government spending and lay off a large number of employees.

The aid freeze has particularly hit sub-Saharan Africa, which received more than $6.5 billion in U.S. humanitarian aid last year. HIV patients in Africa, who were supported by a well-known U.S. program that helped curb the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, have found themselves facing closed doors at U.S.-funded clinics.

There are also immediate repercussions in Latin America. In Mexico, an overcrowded migrant shelter in the south of the country has been left without a doctor. A mental health support program for LGBTQ+ youth fleeing Venezuela has been dismantled.

In Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Guatemala, so-called “Secure Mobility Offices,” where migrants could apply to enter the US legally, have been closed.

The humanitarian aid community is struggling to understand the full extent of the impact of this freeze: how many thousands of programs have been closed and how many thousands of employees have been suspended or laid off?

How much does the US spend on foreign aid?

In total, the US spent about $40 billion on foreign aid during fiscal year 2023, according to a report released last month by the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan body.

The US is the world's largest provider of humanitarian aid, although some other countries spend a larger percentage of their budgets on it. Overall, foreign aid accounts for less than 1% of the US federal budget.

What do Americans think about foreign aid?

About 6 in 10 American adults said the U.S. government is spending “too much” on foreign aid, according to a March 2023 AP-NORC poll. When asked about specific costs, about 7 in 10 Americans said the U.S. is giving too much money on foreign aid.

About 9 in 10 Republicans and 55% of Democrats agreed that the country was spending more than it should on international aid. At the same time, about 6 in 10 Americans said the government was spending “too little” on domestic issues such as education, health care, infrastructure, Social Security and Medicare.

Polls have shown that American citizens tend to overestimate the percentage of the federal budget that is spent on foreign aid. Research by the Kaiser Foundation has found that on average, Americans think foreign aid makes up 31% of the federal budget, when in reality it is less than 1%.

Can Trump dismantle USAID with a single decision?

Democrats argue that presidents do not have the constitutional authority to eliminate USAID. However, it is not clear what would stop Trump from trying to do so.

A similar legal battle occurred during Trump’s first term, when he tried to cut the budget for foreign operations by a third. When Congress refused, the Trump administration used funding freezes and other tactics to stop the flow of money already approved by Congress for foreign programs. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) later ruled that this violated a law known as the Impoundment Control Act.

It's a law we may hear more about in the future.

“You live by executive orders, you die by executive orders,” Musk said Saturday on the X platform, referring to USAID.

These developments have caused great concern among humanitarian organizations and international aid experts, who fear that stopping US aid will have serious consequences for the millions of people who rely on it for survival.

How is the freezing of humanitarian aid affecting you?

The funding freeze has left hundreds of critical programs without support, including those that help malnourished children, refugees, and victims of natural disasters.

In African countries like Sudan and Somalia, thousands of children who rely on USAID food assistance are at risk of going hungry. Programs to vaccinate children against deadly diseases like measles and polio have been suspended, raising fears of outbreaks.

In the Middle East, Syrian refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon have faced drastic reductions in food and medical supplies. In Afghanistan, US humanitarian aid has helped millions of people survive a severe economic crisis, but that aid has now been suspended.

In Ukraine, the funding cut has had a direct impact on relief operations for those displaced by the war with Russia. A USAID program that helped distribute humanitarian aid to Ukrainian citizens has been left without funding, making it more difficult to deliver food and medicine to war-affected areas.

Can USAID reopen if aid is completely stopped?

Some experts warn that even if USAID assistance resumes after the 90-day review, the damage done could be irreparable for many programs. Many humanitarian organizations depend on USAID support to operate, and a funding freeze could force them to permanently close their programs.

There are also fears that other countries, such as China and Russia, could take advantage of the vacuum left by the US in international aid. China, for example, has already expanded its development assistance program, known as “Belt and Road,” providing financial assistance and infrastructure to developing countries.

How will this affect politically?

Democrats and some Republicans have sharply criticized Trump's decision to freeze humanitarian aid, calling it a reckless move that endangers U.S. national security. They argue that foreign aid is an important diplomatic tool that helps stabilize troubled regions and prevent mass migration.

On the other hand, Trump supporters argue that American taxpayer money should be used for domestic issues, such as infrastructure and health care, and not to fund international aid. They support a stricter approach to foreign aid, requiring that it go only to programs that directly benefit US security and interests.

What will happen next?

As the 90-day aid freeze period continues, it remains unclear whether USAID will resume its programs or whether the Trump administration will make larger changes to the structure and funding of foreign aid.

Political analysts say this could be just the beginning of a broader effort to change the way the US governs international aid. If Trump were to attempt to dismantle USAID or drastically reduce humanitarian aid, it could spark a fierce debate in Congress and the American public.

Meanwhile, millions of people around the world are uncertain about the future of the aid that is often the only thing keeping them alive.

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