Trump didn’t gut foreign aid last time. This time could be different : Dylan Matthews / VOX

Trump and Lindsey Graham

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Interesting perspective on foreign aid under Trump II
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Summary

Trump's second term could significantly reshape U.S. foreign aid and global health initiatives. During his first term, despite proposing major cuts, foreign aid remained stable thanks to bipartisan congressional support that blocked reductions. However, his second term poses new challenges. Trump's administration will likely be more skeptical of multilateral health organizations like WHO following COVID-19. The appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as HHS Secretary is particularly concerning given his prominent anti-vaccine stance, which could impact global vaccination programs. Perhaps most worryingly, Trump plans to revive "impoundment," allowing him to withhold congressionally allocated funds, which could bypass traditional congressional oversight of foreign aid spending.

While there remains strong bipartisan support for global health initiatives in Congress, with influential Republicans like Lindsey Graham backing such programs, Trump's potential use of impoundment powers could render this support ineffective. This creates significant uncertainty for the future of U.S. foreign aid programs, especially those focused on global health and vaccination efforts. The situation represents a marked departure from Trump's first term, where respected officials like USAID Administrator Mark Green helped maintain relatively stable foreign aid policies despite presidential opposition.

Quotes:

"Trump II will be a post-Covid administration, and thus will reflect the deep skepticism of multilateral health institutions that has developed on the right"

"Robert F. Kennedy Jr... perhaps the most influential anti-vaccine activist not only in the US, but the world"

"Perhaps the most disturbing omen for Trump's foreign aid policy is the report... that he wants to revive 'impoundment,' a practice Congress banned after Watergate in which the president simply refuses to spend money that's been allocated by Congress"