Trump calls his own foreign aid cuts at USAID ‘devastating’

President Trump acknowledges global fallout of slashing USAID funding, including major setbacks to South Africa’s HIV response, as pressure mounts for other nations to contribute

WASHINGTON, May 22 (Reuters): In a candid moment during a White House meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, U.S. President Donald Trump described his administration’s sweeping foreign aid cuts — including those to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) — as “devastating.”

Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, was responding to a reporter’s question about the widespread impact of the cuts, particularly in Africa. While defending the decision, he acknowledged the consequences.

“It’s devastating, and hopefully a lot of people are going to start spending a lot of money,” Trump said. “I’ve talked to other nations. We want them to chip in and spend money too… The United States always gets the request for money. Nobody else helps.”

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Global Impact of USAID Cuts

The United States is the world’s largest donor of humanitarian aid, accounting for about 38% of all global contributions, with $61 billion disbursed in 2023, over half of it through USAID. However, the Trump administration’s move to slash aid funding—framed as a crackdown on “wasteful spending”—has drawn heavy criticism from both domestic and international observers.

The State Department, which oversees USAID, declined immediate comment on the president’s remarks. The agency’s dramatic downsizing has also sparked multiple federal lawsuits, and critics have pointed to its oversight by South Africa-born entrepreneur Elon Musk as controversial, though Musk has not publicly responded to the lawsuits.

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Impact in South Africa: HIV Response Suffers

South Africa has been one of the hardest-hit nations by the cuts. In 2023, the U.S. spent over $500 million in aid to the country, most of it dedicated to healthcare—especially the battle against HIV/AIDS. That funding has since been largely withdrawn, although precise figures remain unclear.

• One in five adults in South Africa lives with HIV, making it the country with the world’s highest HIV burden.
• Before the cuts, U.S. aid made up 17% of South Africa’s HIV budget.
• HIV testing and monitoring efforts have dropped significantly, according to reports by Reuters, raising alarm among health experts and NGOs.

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Trump’s Defense: ‘Others Must Do More’

President Trump has previously argued that the U.S. bears a disproportionate burden in global aid spending and has urged other nations to increase their contributions. He reiterated that position during his exchange with Ramaphosa, suggesting that the U.S. “always gets the request for money,” while others “don’t help.”

While the administration insists the cuts target inefficiencies and waste, the humanitarian consequences, particularly in healthcare and poverty reduction, are becoming more visible in affected countries.

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What’s Next?

President Ramaphosa, while visibly trying to counter Trump’s assertions, was often interrupted and offered limited pushback during the exchange. In South Africa, the fallout from the aid withdrawal continues to unfold, especially as public health agencies struggle to fill the gap left by the U.S.

Advocates are now calling for a reevaluation of the aid strategy, especially amid ongoing global health challenges.

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