Donald Trump’s first week back in the White House has clearly demonstrated that ‘America First’ is not merely a catchy campaign slogan but a tangible political strategy yielding real, measurable results. Trump has already signed a slew of executive orders following his inauguration on 20 January, including a 90-day hold on nearly all US foreign assistance, which was further extended on Friday when the US State Department announced a complete freeze on such aid. Moreover, in his most recent move, Trump has effectively cut off the head of the snake: on Monday, the president ordered dozens of senior career employees at the US Agency for International Development (USAID)—the agency responsible for allocating foreign assistance, aid, and grants—to go on administrative leave.

According to POLITICO, this decision appears to impact nearly all career staffers holding top leadership roles within the agency, at least in Washington. One former Trump administration official likened the action to ‘taking out all the generals.’ He continued: ‘This is the leadership of the agency,’ adding, that ‘I don’t know what they [the Trump administration] hope to accomplish by it.’

Hard Times for Kyiv

In fact, that was precisely the point. Founded in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy, USAID is ‘primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance.’ It is considered one of the largest official aid agencies globally, accounting for over half of all US foreign assistance. In 2023, USAID distributed approximately $68 billion in aid, down from the post-war record of over $76 billion in 2022. However, even at this reduced figure, it is still distributing more aid, adjusted for inflation, than at any time since the 1950s.

In 2023, Ukraine, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt topped the list of nearly 180 countries receiving US funds. Ukraine alone received approximately $17 billion last year, accounting for more than a quarter of all aid designated for specific countries. However, following the State Department’s decision on Friday, USAID projects and funding in Ukraine have been suspended, cutting off resources that are of critical importance.

‘Ukraine alone received approximately $17 billion last year, accounting for more than a quarter of all aid designated for specific countries’

Since the outbreak of the war, USAID has provided Ukraine with over $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and $30 billion in direct budgetary contributions. Ukrainian officials and NGOs have raised concerns that the suspension of payments could jeopardize essential initiatives, including support for schools, hospitals, and infrastructure development. However, military aid is not affected by the decision.

Exceptions to Friday’s decision include aid to Israel and Egypt, though some sources suggest that Kyiv has also requested to be included in this group.

USAID’s History of Foreign Interference

That said, aid is just one aspect of USAID’s operations. One of the agency’s more significant, albeit less publicly acknowledged, goals is to extend US influence in mainly allied countries and to exert political pressure when an ally disagrees with Washington on key issues. While this is not explicitly stated on the agency’s website, anyone familiar with the rhetoric of liberal, globalist language can easily read between the lines.

‘On behalf of the American people, we promote and demonstrate democratic values abroad and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world,’ reads the agency’s introduction. USAID updated its policies last year to ‘meet the challenges democracies face all around the world,’ including combating the ‘spread of information manipulation’ and addressing ‘authoritarian powers threatening global stability and the core tenets of our world order.’ Among the newly introduced measures are initiatives aimed at advancing social inclusion and gender equality, combating corruption, reinvigorating democracy, and more.

‘Several countries have banned USAID from operating within their borders, accusing it of advancing American empire-building’

If we examine the agency’s mission closely, we also find the task of building bilateral relations for the US, a mandate that can be interpreted quite broadly. This can range from the literal meaning of fostering diplomatic relations to activities such as organizing opposition movements, supporting political groups, influencing media, or, in more extreme cases, aiding in the overthrow of foreign governments to exert US influence.

Since its foundation, USAID has cooperated closely with the CIA, a relationship that, from the 1960s onwards, has caused many governments in South America and the Middle East to distrust and even resent the organization. Several countries have banned USAID from operating within their borders, accusing it of advancing American empire-building under the guise of providing aid and promoting democracy.

Russia, in particular, has consistently accused USAID of covertly influencing its domestic politics and elections. In 2012, the Russian government expelled the agency, with the foreign ministry stating that USAID’s activities ‘did not always align with its declared objectives.’

Trump’s Reform, Biden’s Reverse

Trump has been critical of USAID since his first presidential campaign and throughout his presidency. In 2018, his administration initiated reforms to make the agency more effective. These reforms focused on facilitating countries’ transition away from dependence on foreign assistance by promoting self-reliance, ultimately aiming to reduce the amount of US taxpayers’ money spent on aiding foreign nations.

However, such an approach does not align with the interests of the globalist Democratic elite, for whom aid dependency serves as a means to exert influence and pressure on recipient countries. Following Joe Biden’s election victory in 2020, it was back to business as usual.

Hungary and the USAID

Hungary also has experience with USAID, and, unsurprisingly, it is not a positive one. In December 2022, roughly three months after the arrival of Biden-appointed Ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman, the US Embassy announced the return of USAID to the country. According to the announcement, USAID’s mission was to ‘strengthen democratic institutions, civil society, and independent media.’ The agency pledged to support its partners in Central Europe by increasing the capacity of civil society to uphold democratic principles, strengthening the financial independence of independent media, enhancing civil society and media watchdog skills to promote the rule of law, and combating corruption.

The embassy’s press release further stated that the Biden-Harris admin aims to bolster democracy worldwide, framing USAID’s activities in Central Europe as rooted in commitments to human rights and adherence to the rule of law.

‘Significant grants began flowing to opposition media outlets, government-critical NGOs’

Following this, significant grants began flowing to opposition media outlets, government-critical NGOs, and other actors perceived as potential challengers to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his government. USAID collaborated closely with Pressman in attacking the Hungarian government by financing an extensive media network that amplified every critical statement made by the US Ambassador.

As a last parting gift, the US Embassy allocated substantial grants to several opposition and left-leaning media outlets on the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration.

In February 2023, Samantha Power, former Administrator of USAID, even visited Budapest, where she met with opposition journalists—described as ‘independent’ in US Embassy reports—members of the LGBTQ community, and held a press conference where she made pointed criticisms of Hungary’s political landscape.

She declared that she no longer considers Hungary a full-fledged plural democracy and expressed concern over the state of US-Hungarian relations. ‘During my stay here, I have been informed about the political and economic situation, citizens’ views on the Russian–Ukrainian war, the rule of law, and democracy, and I can tell you that many people are concerned about the attacks on the media, the civil sector, and the rule of law,’ Power stated.

It is also important to note that during the visit of the USAID head, the Hungarian opposition was under investigation for illegally receiving election campaign money from US sources.

However, with Trump back in the White House, Washington appears more focused on addressing its domestic issues rather than meddling in the affairs of its allies. As part of the suspension of foreign aid, the ‘US Ambassador’s Independent Media Support Fund’ has also halted its assistance for Hungarian opposition media.

As State Secretary Marco Rubio promised after taking the oath of office last week: ‘Every action taken by the State Department will be determined by the answers to three questions: Does it make us stronger? Does it make us safer? And does it make us more prosperous?’ USAID’s activities in Hungary clearly fail to meet any of these criteria.

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