President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday, halting all U.S. foreign assistance programs for 90 days while conducting a review of their alignment with his administration’s policies.
“Every department and agency head overseeing United States foreign development assistance programs shall immediately pause any new commitments or disbursements of development aid to foreign nations,” the executive order stated, which Trump signed in the Oval Office.
Interestingly, the order didn’t specify the exact amount of aid affected by this temporary freeze, leaving some questions unanswered.
The directive criticized the current state of U.S. foreign aid, claiming it often contradicts American values and interests. It went further to say that these programs, in many cases, destabilize global peace by spreading ideas that oppose internal and international harmony. “They serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries,” it read.
This move came as Trump was sworn in for his second term on Monday, signaling a significant pivot in U.S. policy. The decision is already stirring debate, with many anticipating its ripple effects on both domestic and global affairs.
