Since returning to office, President Donald Trump’s administration has significantly altered U.S. foreign aid programs, labeling many longstanding initiatives as misaligned with American interests and cutting their budgets. Despite these cuts, Congress has mandated that billions of taxpayer dollars allocated for foreign aid must still be spent, with continued support for humanitarian aid, global health, and pro-democracy efforts.

A recent investigation by ProPublica uncovered that a lesser-known bureau within the State Department has undergone dramatic transformation under Trump. Among the new directions, the administration has considered funding groups such as a British free-speech organization opposing bans on “gay conversion therapy” and a British-American think tank focusing on existential threats to Western civilization, though the latter grant was dropped after Congressional pushback.

One notable proposal involved a $5 million grant aimed at supporting individuals facing "deplatforming" and opposing "restrictive online safety and hate speech laws." Additionally, a call for proposals was issued to fund research, conferences, and cultural engagements in wealthy democracies to foster "civilizational self-confidence in Europe."

Regarding South Africa, the State Department declined to confirm whether the organization Lex Libertas would be invited to compete for a $1 million grant intended for similar purposes. The administration expressed serious concerns about the human rights situation in South Africa. Over the past 18 months, President 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 country.

The proposed grant was later broadened to allow a wider range of groups to apply, though it remains focused on the same objectives.

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