Uh-oh, things got worse for Democrats.
On Wednesday, U.S. Supreme Court’s John Roberts froze a Biden judge’s order that would have required the Trump team to release around $2 billion of foreign funds to contractors by midnight. This emergency decision followed the Trump team’s request to the Court for intervention, citing concerns over the impracticality of meeting the judge’s deadline.
The administration’s legal team argued that U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali’s order was unworkable and interfered with President Trump’s constitutional duty to protect the federal budget and make critical decisions about foreign aid spending. They warned that such an order would cause “irreparable harm” and disrupt the careful balancing of U.S. foreign policy priorities and taxpayer resources.
The ruling sets the stage for a brief pause in the matter, with groups opposing the administration’s stance required to file responses by Friday noon. However, the pause could be short-lived, depending on the Court’s further decisions.
In a broader move, the Trump administration has outlined plans to significantly reduce U.S. foreign aid, specifically through cuts to over 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts and slashing $60 billion in global assistance. This aggressive policy shift aims to scale back U.S. involvement in international development, which has been a cornerstone of American foreign policy for decades. The cuts are part of the administration’s broader strategy to refocus taxpayer dollars on domestic priorities and reduce wasteful spending abroad.
The Trump administration has been outspoken about its belief that foreign aid often serves liberal agendas rather than advancing American interests. Both President Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk have been vocal critics of USAID, accusing it of misallocating funds on ineffective projects that do little to benefit the United States. This move aligns with their broader goal of shrinking the size and scope of the federal government, promoting a more efficient use of taxpayer resources.
In a related matter, the administration has also sought the Supreme Court’s intervention in a separate case, challenging a lower court ruling that reinstated a federal watchdog official after President Trump removed him from his position. Together, these actions underscore the administration’s commitment to reining in government overreach and prioritizing American interests on the global stage.