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 emphasizing continued support for humanitarian aid, global health, and pro-democracy efforts worldwide.

A recent investigation by ProPublica uncovered that a lesser-known bureau within the State Department, which has undergone dramatic transformation under Trump, is now considering funding groups such as a British free-speech organization and a British-American think tank focused on perceived existential threats to Western civilization. One notable proposal involved a $5 million grant aimed at supporting individuals facing "deplatforming" and opposing restrictive online safety and hate speech laws. This grant was later expanded to invite a broader range of groups to apply for $1 million in funding for similar purposes.

The State Department declined to confirm whether the organization Lex Libertas, linked to research on crime against Afrikaners in South Africa, would be invited to compete for funding. However, it stated that the Trump administration holds serious concerns about the human rights situation in South Africa that need to be addressed.

Over the past 18 months, Trump has asserted that white South Africans are victims of genocide and disproportionate violence, claims he used to justify cutting off U.S. funding for HIV treatment and research in the region.

This shift reflects a broader realignment of U.S. foreign aid priorities under the Trump administration, moving away from programs benefiting larger populations in South Africa toward a narrower focus on the white minority.

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