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Trump Slashes $5 Billion In Foreign Spending Using Rare Executive Maneuver

RNN Staff

President Donald Trump has cut nearly $5 billion in foreign aid spending using a rare executive maneuver that hasn’t been employed in nearly half a century — a bold move to reclaim taxpayer dollars from wasteful climate and gender activism programs abroad.

In a letter sent Thursday to House Speaker Mike Johnson, the president announced that he was revoking previously approved funding from agencies like the State Department, USAID, and International Assistance Programs. The cuts hit projects that promoted “inclusive democracy” in South Africa, “global LGBTQI+ awareness,” and other initiatives the administration has condemned as part of the failed “America Last” foreign aid doctrine.

Pocket Rescission: A 50-Year-Old Tool Brought Back

Trump’s team invoked a rarely used tactic known as a “pocket rescission,” a mechanism under the Impoundment Control Act that lets the president cancel funding at the end of the fiscal year, leaving Congress no time to reauthorize the spending before it expires.

“Last night, President Trump CANCELLED $4.9 billion in America Last foreign aid using a pocket rescission,” the Office of Management and Budget announced Friday. “President Trump will always put AMERICA FIRST!”

A senior White House official told reporters that this approach had been “dusted off” as a way to legally bypass the gridlock in Congress and deliver immediate results.

Rubio Praises Trump For Targeting Wasteful Spending

Secretary of State Marco Rubio applauded the president’s actions, saying Trump is “rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse” that has long plagued America’s foreign aid system.

“For the first time in 50 years, the President is using his authority under the Impoundment Control Act to deploy a pocket rescission,” Rubio said, “cancelling $5 billion in foreign aid and international organization funding that violates the President’s America First priorities.”

Among the targeted programs:

  • $2.7 million for “inclusive democracy” promotion in South Africa

  • $4 million for “global LGBTQI+ awareness” initiatives

  • Climate-related projects, including building a “greenhouse gas calculator” and promoting vegan diets in Zambia

  • Insect-based food research in Madagascar and electric bus purchases in Rwanda

Legal Battle Brewing Over Authority

While conservatives have praised the move, Democrats and moderate Republicans are crying foul. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) claimed the maneuver was unconstitutional.

“This is an apparent attempt to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval,” Collins said. “That is a clear violation of the law.”

But the White House is standing firm, asserting that the administration is “on very firm legal footing” and prepared to defend the maneuver in court if challenged.

A Pattern Of Action Against Global Bureaucracies

This isn’t the first time Trump has moved to defund global institutions and radical foreign aid programs. Since returning to office, Trump has slashed UN climate contributions, cut off funds to gender studies programs in Pakistan, and called for audits of NGO-backed humanitarian groups tied to political activism.

The president has also tasked a White House working group to audit all U.S. contributions to foreign governments and multilateral organizations, vowing that “not one taxpayer dollar should go to causes that undermine American values.”

Trump’s bold use of the pocket rescission now sets a precedent for further action — one that could lead to a broader dismantling of the bloated foreign aid regime long protected by bipartisan complacency.

As the fiscal year draws to a close, more budget battles loom — but one thing is clear: Trump is making good on his promise to put America First. And he’s not waiting on Congress to do it.

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