Private Donors Step In Amid Trump-Era Foreign Aid Cuts But Can They Replace America’s Global Leadership?

When the Trump administration abruptly froze billions in U.S. foreign assistance, it unleashed a scramble among private donors and foundations to fill the void left by Washington's retreat from global engagement. Within eight months, more than $125 million in emergency funding was raised—an impressive sum by philanthropic standards but a drop in the bucket compared to America’s historic foreign aid contributions exceeding $64 billion just two years prior. This massive funding cut wasn’t just a bureaucratic shuffle; it represents a conscious pivot away from America’s traditional role as the world’s leading development partner—one that protected American sovereignty and promoted stability...