The Trump administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 would make unprecedented cuts to foreign aid, which some called “reckless” and “self-defeating.”
The White House released its budget request on Friday that proposes a 47.7% cut in funding for state and international programs from 2025 levels, down to $31.2 billion, and signaling its intention to rescind about $20 billion in funds previously approved by Congress. If successful, the total would amount to a roughly 84% cut to the foreign affairs budget, leaving just $9.6 billion in new spending.
“Overwhelming cuts to effective assistance would be reckless and self-defeating, threatening lives and stability around the world,” said Elizabeth Hoffman, executive director for North America at the ONE. “Erasing hard-earned partnerships and progress in the name of saving a fraction of a percent of the US budget would be the true waste.”
About the authors
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex where she covers development finance, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development and authors the weekly Devex Invested newsletter bringing the latest news on the role of business and finance in addressing global challenges. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
