USAID, once a Cold War tool, has shifted into promoting globalist progressive causes like LGBTQ rights globally, but it’s now facing backlash, as detailed by Gergely Szilvay and Mátyás Kohán in Hungarian media. Under the Trump administration, USAID’s operations were scrutinized, and foreign aid was temporarily halted.
This caused Hungarian left-wing media outlets and organizations to lose millions in funding, with 22 groups seeing a total loss of 173 million forints (€425,000). However, the decree was suspended by two judges.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) then stepped in to investigate USAID’s activities. Despite resistance from USAID employees, DOGE obtained the needed data. Musk later labeled USAID a “criminal organization” and suggested dismantling it entirely. The organization, though technically under the State Department, has faced calls for full integration into it. The Guardian reports that USAID distributed $72 billion in 2023, accounting for 42% of global aid in 2024.
Zoltán Koskovics, a senior analyst at the Center for Fundamental Rights, told Mandiner that Trump’s initial executive order suspending foreign aid aimed to review and align it with U.S. interests. He explained that many programs destabilized countries by promoting ideas contrary to their internal political stability. Koskovics argued that DOGE’s intervention was a strategic effort to expose corruption within USAID, which had increasingly become a tool for promoting “woke” ideology and misdirecting taxpayer money.
USAID’s roots trace back to the post-WWII era with the Marshall Plan, which focused on helping European nations recover while countering the spread of communism. Over the years, this morphed into a more global effort with the goal of fostering “Americanism” in developing countries, though it inadvertently promoted liberalism and left-wing ideologies. The U.S. also expanded its influence through foundations and educational institutions, often directing foreign aid towards political ends.
During the Cold War, USAID became integral to countering communism, particularly in Latin America, where it supported regimes aligned with U.S. interests. USAID’s role in the Brazilian military dictatorship and its involvement in suppressing communism across the region was significant.
With the Cold War over, USAID’s focus shifted, promoting democracy and advancing progressive social policies like LGBTQ rights worldwide. The organization has been involved in controversial projects, such as forced sterilizations in Peru in the 1990s, and more recently, supporting LGBTQ issues in countries like Bangladesh, South Africa, Kosovo, and Guatemala.
USAID’s presence in Hungary, too, has been noted, particularly its support for liberal NGOs. Samantha Power, USAID’s former administrator, visited Hungary in 2023 to meet with groups focused on democracy promotion. Despite its controversial activities, USAID remains a key player in U.S. foreign policy.
