US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he has enacted a sweeping suspension of aid to foreign countries.
“I imposed a federal hiring freeze, a federal regulation freeze, a foreign aid freeze,” Trump told a crowd of supporters in Las Vegas on Saturday. “And I created the new Department of Government Efficiency, and we’re going to have a lot of good people,” he added.
Shortly after his swearing-in on Monday, President Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending all foreign development assistance programs for 90 days. The pause is intended to allow for a thorough review to ensure these programs align with his ‘America First’ policy objectives.
During his campaign, Trump emphasized reducing wasteful government spending and prioritizing domestic issues, such as addressing U.S. sovereign debt and combating illegal immigration.
Ahead of the executive order, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a memo on Saturday instructing the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to halt disbursement of funds. Exceptions were made for critical programs, including military aid to Israel and Egypt.