Foreign Aid Groups Grapple With How to Engage Trump

After drastic cuts, some aid workers are advocating a more pragmatic approach to dealing with Trump 2.0.

People hold signs in support of USAID workers while standing outside the agency building. October 21, 2025, 3:31 PM Comment icon View Comments ( )

Trump’s Second Term

Ongoing reports and analysis

It’s been more than eight months since U.S. President Donald Trump shocked the world by halting virtually all U.S. foreign aid, terminating billions in congressionally directed funding, and unilaterally dismantling multiple development offices in charge of overseeing the spending.

Last week, the mood among the hundreds of attendees at the InterAction Forum—one of the largest annual gatherings of foreign aid workers—alternated b

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