The Situation Room - February 5th

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I’m Trent Barr, and welcome to The Situation Room! We cover the most high impact geopolitical developments every Wednesday!

Today’s topics:

• Trump’s Overhaul of USAID Creates NGO Aid Panic

• The Philippines Has A Communist Problem

• Tweet By President of Colombia Spoils Military Operation

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USAID Gets Shown The Door

_{By: Trent Barr, Staff Writer for Atlas}

In a substantial shift in US foreign aid policy, the Trump administration has enacted sweeping changes to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), leaving aid organizations scrambling to assess the fallout. Over the past two weeks, dozens of senior officials have been placed on leave, thousands of contractors laid off, and billions in humanitarian assistance frozen, raising concerns about the future of global aid programs.

The Impact of the Freeze

Established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy during the Cold War, USAID was designed to counter Soviet influence by providing humanitarian assistance worldwide. Over the decades, the agency has played a crucial role in global development, from supporting health initiatives to disaster relief efforts. Although the Cold War ended in 1991, USAID has remained a key player in U.S. foreign policy, with proponents arguing that its work counters growing Chinese and Russian influence.

Upon taking office on January 20, President Trump immediately implemented a 90-day freeze on foreign aid. Just days later, Peter Marocco, a returning Trump political appointee, issued an unexpectedly strict interpretation of the order, effectively halting thousands of aid programs. The move forced mass furloughs and layoffs among USAID staff and contractors.

While Secretary of State Marco Rubio has attempted to preserve life-saving emergency programs, confusion over exemptions has stalled aid efforts worldwide. USAID’s Washington headquarters has been closed, its website taken down, and its social media presence removed from X. The agency is among the hardest hit in a broader Trump administration effort to scrutinize and slash federal programs.

Rubio defended the freeze, stating that the administration seeks to conduct a program-by-program review to ensure that U.S. aid benefits the nation. He further asserted that suspending funds has already increased cooperation from aid recipients.

Sub-Saharan Africa stands to suffer the most from the pause, as the U.S. provided the region with over $6.5 billion in humanitarian assistance last year. Clinics serving HIV patients have shut down, while the fate of key nutritional programs for malnourished children remains uncertain. In Latin America, a migrant shelter in Mexico has lost medical staff, and mental health programs for LGBT Venezuelan refugees have been disbanded. Meanwhile, “Safe Mobility Offices” in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala, which were founded to provide legal migration pathways, have closed their doors.

Aid organizations are struggling to grasp the full scale of the damage, with thousands of projects halted and workers laid off.

USAID has long been a political battleground. Republican administrations have traditionally sought to cut or restructure foreign aid, favoring more direct control by the State Department. The Trump administration’s first term saw funding cuts to multiple UN agencies, including those supporting Palestinian refugees and international human rights efforts. In contrast, Democrats generally advocate for maintaining USAID’s independence and funding levels.

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has taken center stage in Trump’s campaign to reduce federal spending. Musk has labeled USAID a “criminal organization,” accusing it of funding deadly programs. His department has been tasked with identifying wasteful government spending, with USAID among its primary targets.

Public opinion on foreign aid remains divided. A 2023 AP-NORC poll found that roughly 60% of Americans believe the US spends too much on aid, with Republican sentiment particularly strong. However, surveys indicate that Americans significantly overestimate the share of the federal budget devoted to foreign aid, often believing it accounts for 31% rather than the actual figure of less than 1%.

While legal experts argue that the president lacks the authority to unilaterally eliminate USAID, Trump’s past efforts suggest he may attempt significant cuts through executive actions. In his first term, he sought to slash foreign aid spending by one-third. When Congress blocked these efforts, his administration used funding freezes and other tactics to reduce aid distribution, a strategy that was later ruled unlawful by the Government Accountability Office.

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