Why Trump's Attempt to Freeze USAID Matters
American isolationism is taking effect and Trump seems to have no qualms about bending the Constitution.
Trump’s Vendetta on DEI
The Republican-controlled Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast released a video listing “radical, far-left grants issued by the State Department and United States Agency for International Development under the Biden administration”. His examples include:
$15 million for condoms to the Taliban through USAID.
$446,700 to promote the expansion of atheism in Nepal through the State Department.
$1 million to boost French-speaking LGBTQ groups in West and Central Africa through the State Department.
$14 million in cash vouchers for migrants at the southern border through the State Department.
$20,600 for a drag show in Ecuador through the State Department.
$47,020 for a transgender opera in Colombia through the State Department.
$32,000 for an LGBTQ-centered comic book in Peru through the State Department.
$55,750 for a climate change presentation warning about the impact of climate change in Argentina to be led by female and LGBT journalists through the StateDepartment.
$3,315,446 for “being LGBTQ in the Caribbean” through USAID.
$7,071.58 for a BIPOC speaker series in Canada through the State Department.
$80,000 for an LGBTQ community center in Bratislava, Slovakia through the State Department.
$3.2 million to help Tunisian migrants readjust to life in Tunisia after deportation through the State Department.
$16,500 to foster a “united and equal queer-feminist discourse in Albanian society” through the State Department.
$10,000 to pressure Lithuanian corporations to promote “DEI values” through the State Department.
$8,000 to promote DEI among LGBTQ groups in Cyprus through the State Department.
$1.5 million to promote job opportunities for LGBTQ individuals in Serbia through USAID.
$70,884 to create a U.S.-Irish musical to promote DEI in Ireland through the State Department.
$39,652 to host seminars at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on gender identity and racial equality through the State Department.
$2.5 million to build electric vehicle charging stations in Vietnam’s largest cities through USAID.
$425,622 to help Indonesian coffee companies become more climate and gender friendly through USAID.From a right-wing perspective, there is certainly plenty of “DEI” funding to be skeptical of, backed by Trump’s claim that USAID wastes US taxpayer dollars. In his executive order, he writes that US foreign aid “are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values” and halted all foreign assistance for 90 days. However, most of USAID’s funding mostly goes towards programs such as the World Food Program, UNICEF, and Save the Children. But Trump reasoned that USAID would be one of the many agencies to get audited because “USAID has been run by a bunch of radical lunatics and we're getting them out and then we'll make a decision."
Although most of USAID’s budget goes towards funding health programs across the world, apparently diversity expenditures were enough of a reason for Trump to place 10,000 USAID workers on leave and to freeze funding toward foreign development.
Many who support the USAID freeze believe it will cut down on federal funding. As Tammy Bruce, the U.S. Department of State’s spokesperson wrote, "President Trump stated clearly that the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people.” However, according to the United States Department of State, USAID accounts for less than 1% of federal government spending. Additionally, fiscaldata.treasury.gov shows USAID spends an unremarkable amount of money compared to other agencies.
In 2023, Congress gave $43.4 billion to USAID, barely 0.7 percent of the $6.134 trillion federal budget. The Trump administration reasons that USAID has been temporarily shut down for mismanagement of funds, but 17 Inspector Generals who independently investigate funding and government efficiency were terminated.
Inspector Generals
On the Office of Inspector Generals’ website:
An email was sent to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General Christi Grimm. The email read:
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that due to changing priorities your position as Inspector General… is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service.”
The same email was sent to the other Inspector Generals. Trump called the firings “a very standard thing to do, very much like the U.S. attorneys”.
According to Congress's Inspector General Act, Title 5, Section 403(b), it states:
An Inspector General may be removed from office by the President. If an Inspector General is removed from office or is transferred to another position or location within an establishment, the President shall communicate in writing the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons for any such removal or transfer to both Houses of Congress (including the appropriate congressional committees), not later than 30 days before the removal or transfer. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a personnel action otherwise authorized by law, other than transfer or removal.Trump did not give notice to the Houses of Congress before he removed the Inspector Generals. This may be Trump’s attempt at placing loyalists into his administration.
Is the USAID’s Freeze Constitutional?
A group of House and Senate Democrats told protestors outside the USAID's headquarters that Trump’s move to dismantle USAID is illegal. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said, “USAID was established by an act of Congress, and it can only be disbanded by an act of Congress". The legal way to dismantle USAID would be to appeal to the Senate AKA the “Power of the Purse”, and pass a bill to change a government agency.
Trump’s disregard for the Constitution and the separation of government power can be seen through his many executive actions; he made an executive order titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship” where he challenged the 14th Amendment. In his order, he writes that the “Fourteenth Amendment has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not “subject to the jurisdiction thereof”. As
wrote “… as especially seen in the federal court rulings surrounding USA v Wong Kim Ark, the courts have consistently affirmed that those born within the United States are, by default, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and are therefore citizens. In fact, the Fourteenth Amendment itself establishes this”.
Why USAID Matters
The U.S. Agency for International Development is important to United States foreign relations. As one of the richest nations in the world, developing nations rely on American aid. The extent of their help is wide-ranging, from supporting foreign nations with disaster relief, poverty relief, environment conservation, and more. USAID also helps stop the spread of infectious diseases before they reach America. It not only saves lives and promotes democracy, but makes America an influential nation through example and aid. The agency promoted American influence in developing nations when China and Russia invested in developing countries to gain influence.
Although a judge made a temporary restraining order that blocked Trump from placing 2,200 USAID employees on paid leave, it will only last until February 14. Americans must show resistance to Trump’s unconstitutional actions before they embolden him to take more radical actions, just as Americans protested Elon Musk from accessing the Treasury. It worked then and it’ll work again.