Since returning to office, President Donald Trump’s administration has significantly altered U.S. foreign aid programs, labeling many established initiatives as misaligned with American interests and cutting their budgets. Despite these changes, billions of dollars allocated by Congress for foreign aid must still be spent, with lawmakers insisting on continued funding for humanitarian aid, global health, and pro-democracy efforts worldwide.

A recent investigation by ProPublica uncovered that a little-known bureau within the State Department, which has undergone dramatic transformation under Trump, is now considering funding groups focused on issues such as crime against Afrikaners in South Africa. The State Department declined to confirm whether the British organization Lex Libertas, which has been linked to these efforts, will be invited to compete for a $1 million grant. However, the administration expressed serious concerns about human rights conditions in South Africa that it aims to address.

Over the past 18 months, Trump has claimed there is a genocide of white South Africans and cited disproportionate violence against white people to justify cutting U.S. funding for HIV treatment and research in the region. One proposed $5 million grant would support individuals facing "deplatforming" and oppose "restrictive online safety and hate speech laws," according to documents reviewed by ProPublica. The founder of Lex Libertas denied applying for or receiving any U.S. government grants.

Additionally, the bureau has issued calls for proposals to fund research, conferences, and cultural engagements in wealthy democracies aimed at fostering "civilizational self-confidence in Europe."

These developments reflect a notable shift in U.S. foreign aid priorities under the Trump administration, focusing on narrower issues and groups, including those related to white minority concerns in South Africa.

Sources