Court Says: Trump Can Cut Foreign Aid—For Now

By: Oluwaseun M. Lawal

So here’s the deal. On Wednesday, a split US appeals court gave the Trump administration the thumbs-up to slash billions from foreign aid programs. It wasn’t a clean sweep—2 judges said yes, 1 said no—but it’s a win for Trump’s plan.

Remember, a lower court had told Trump to put that money back. Congress had already approved it, after all. But the appeals court said, nah, the groups suing don’t really have the right to do that. Judge Karen Henderson, appointed by George H.W. Bush, wrote that the grantees “lack a cause of action.” Fancy legal speak for “you can’t sue.”

This all started when Trump froze billions in foreign aid right after he took office, even trying to shut down USAID—the main US agency that sends help to about 120 countries. USAID’s been the go-to for health and emergency aid worldwide for decades.

Earlier this year, District Judge Amir Ali, picked by Biden, tried to stop Trump’s freeze with a temporary restraining order. But now, the appeals court flipped that decision.

Judge Florence Pan, another Biden appointee, wasn’t having it and dissented. But for now, Trump’s move to cut foreign aid stands. It’s part of his bigger push to shrink the government after his second term began.