Trump administration freezes foreign aid and begins dismantling USAID

The Trump administration issued a broad freeze on U.S. foreign assistance starting in late January 2025 and began dismantling the United States Agency for International Development, placing USAID personnel on administrative leave and moving to fold the agency into the State Department. DOGE personnel accessed USAID systems. Courts blocked aspects of the shutdown. USAID administered approximately $40 billion annually in humanitarian, development, and security assistance programs globally, including HIV/AIDS treatment for millions in Africa.