For three months without aid: Trump signed an order to suspend financial assistance to other countries.

After the inauguration, President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending all U.S. foreign aid programs for 90 days pending reviews. During this period, assessments are planned to determine alignment with his policy objectives, reports the Associated Press.

Currently, it is unclear how much aid will be affected by this order. The issue is that funding for many programs has already been allocated by Congress and must be spent if it hasn't been already.

The order states that "the foreign aid industry and bureaucracy do not serve American interests and in many cases contradict American values" and "contribute to global instability by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly opposed to harmonious and stable relations within and between nations." In this context, Trump declared that "no further foreign aid from the United States will be provided unless it fully aligns with the foreign policy of the President of the United States."

As Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted to members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearings last week, "Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified by answering three simple questions: 'Does this make America safer? Does this make America stronger? Does this make America more prosperous?'"

The executive order signed by Trump gives Rubio or his designated representative the authority to make such decisions after consulting with the Office of Management and Budget. The primary agencies overseeing foreign aid are the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Journalists point out that Donald Trump has long been opposed to foreign aid, even though such aid typically accounts for about 1% of the federal budget. Exceptions include emergency situations, such as providing billions of dollars in weapons to Ukraine. The new president has been critical of the level of assistance provided to Ukraine to bolster its defense capabilities in the ongoing conflict.

The latest official report on foreign aid from the Biden administration dates back to mid-December and the 2023 budget year. It indicates that $68 billion has been allocated for programs abroad, ranging from disaster relief to health care and pro-democracy initiatives in 204 countries and regions.

Some of the largest recipients of U.S. aid—Israel ($3.3 billion per year), Egypt ($1.5 billion per year), and Jordan ($1.7 billion per year)—are unlikely to face sharp cuts. These amounts are included in long-term packages that have existed for decades and in some cases are governed by contractual obligations.

Funding for UN agencies, including peacekeeping, human rights, and refugee agencies, has traditionally been a target for Republican administrations to cut or otherwise reduce. The first Trump administration undertook cuts to foreign aid, suspending payments to various UN agencies, including the United Nations Population Fund, and funding for the Palestinian Authority.

Let us recall that among the first executive orders from Donald Trump were the declaration of a national emergency and the deployment of troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, the pardoning of over 1,500 individuals convicted for the Capitol riot in 2021, the designation of drug cartels as international terrorist organizations, the reinstatement of federal death penalties, and the termination of government programs for "diversity, equity, and inclusion." The U.S. also withdrew from the WHO and climate agreement.