Since returning to office, President Donald Trump’s administration has significantly altered U.S. foreign aid programs, cutting budgets for longstanding initiatives deemed "not aligned with American interests." Despite these cuts, 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.

A recent investigation by ProPublica uncovered that a little-known bureau within the State Department, which has undergone dramatic transformation under Trump, is now handling much of this redirected funding. Among the groups considered for grants was a British free-speech organization opposing bans on "gay conversion therapy" and a British-American think tank focused on "existential threats to Britain, to America, and to our shared Judeo-Christian civilisation." The administration dropped the latter grant following congressional pushback.

One notable proposal involved funding research on crime against Afrikaners in South Africa, reflecting the administration’s expressed concerns about human rights in the country. The State Department declined to confirm whether the group Lex Libertas would be invited to compete for a $1 million grant intended for this purpose but emphasized the administration’s serious concerns about South Africa’s human rights situation.

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 South Africa.

Additionally, a 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 bureau also recently issued a call for proposals to fund research, conferences, and cultural engagements in wealthy democracies aimed at fostering "civilizational self-confidence in Europe."

The founder of the organization linked to the deplatforming grant stated it had "neither applied for nor been awarded a grant from the US State Department or any other branch of the US Government" but did not answer further questions.

This investigation highlights a marked shift in U.S. foreign aid priorities under the Trump administration, focusing on narrower political and ideological concerns.

Sources