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 reducing their budgets. Despite these cuts, billions of dollars allocated by Congress for foreign aid must still be spent, with lawmakers insisting on continued support 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 changes 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 would be invited to compete for a $1 million grant aimed at addressing these concerns but emphasized the administration's serious worries about human rights in South Africa.

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. A proposed $5 million grant would support individuals facing "deplatforming" and oppose restrictive online safety and hate speech laws, according to reviewed documents. However, Lex Libertas’s founder 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 to foster "civilizational self-confidence in Europe."

This shift in foreign aid priorities reflects a broader realignment under the Trump administration, focusing on narrower issues and groups, including some controversial organizations, while traditional aid programs have been curtailed or eliminated.

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