In a significant move, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that suspends all U.S. foreign assistance programs for a period of 90 days, pending comprehensive reviews. This directive aims to assess whether the current aid allocations align with the administration's policy objectives. While the immediate impact of the order is unclear, many programs have existing appropriations from Congress, which must be honored.

The executive order, one of several issued as Trump resumed his presidency, criticizes the "foreign aid industry" as being misaligned with American interests, arguing that it often promotes ideas that destabilize world peace and conflict with stable international relations. Trump asserted that “no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that all federal spending on foreign aid should be justified by whether it makes America “safer, stronger, and more prosperous.” The responsibility for determining aid eligibility will fall upon Rubio or his designated representatives, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget.

Despite representing only about 1% of the federal budget, Trump has long criticized the concept of foreign aid, particularly questioning the significant military support provided to Ukraine amidst its conflict with Russia. The last foreign aid accounting from the Biden administration indicated that $68 billion had been allocated for various humanitarian and developmental projects across 204 countries, including essential support for disaster relief and pro-democracy initiatives.

Notably, long-standing recipients such as Israel, Egypt, and Jordan are expected to be less affected by potential cuts, given that their aid packages are often governed by longstanding treaties. Historical patterns show Republican administrations tend to propose cuts to U.N. agencies, which are regularly identified as targets for reductions during Republican budgets. Trump's earlier administration had previously suspended funding to various U.N. entities, including the U.N. Population Fund and the Palestinian Authority.

For those interested in further details on Trump's foreign assistance policy impacts, the original reports can be found in the articles from Time and AP News.