Story perspectives

Trump Orders USAID Shutdown, Sends $12M UK Grants

8/12/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump ordered USAID to shut down in February 2025, placing most staff on indefinite leave.
$12 million in grants will go to conservative groups in the United Kingdom, including $7 million for think-tank 878 co-founded by Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The December 2025 U.S. national security strategy warned Europe faces “civilizational erasure” and urged resistance within European nations.

History

Historical Context

The Foreign Assistance Act, signed by President John F. Kennedy on September 4, 1961, unified U.S. development and security aid under USAID. During the Reagan era, Congress added ideological limits, such as the 1974 human-rights provisions that barred assistance to governments violating rights. In February 2025, President Donald Trump invoked that precedent by ordering USAID to suspend programs and redirect funds to conservative partners, reviving aid politicization.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump ordered USAID to shut down in February 2025, placing most staff on indefinite leave.
$12 million in grants will go to conservative groups in the United Kingdom, including $7 million for think-tank 878 co-founded by Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The December 2025 U.S. national security strategy warned Europe faces “civilizational erasure” and urged resistance within European nations.

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