U.S. issues broad freeze on foreign aid after Trump orders review

Washington –

The U.S. State Department issued a “stop-work” order on Friday for all existing foreign assistance and paused new aid, according to a cable seen by reporters, after President Donald Trump ordered a pause to review if aid allocation was aligned with his foreign policy.

The cable, drafted by the Department’s foreign assistance office and approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said waivers have been issued for military financing for Israel and Egypt. No other countries were mentioned in the cable.

The move risks cutting off billions of dollars of life-saving assistance. The United States is the largest single donor of aid globally — in fiscal year 2023, it disbursed $72 billion in assistance.