“The Trump Effect” in U.S. Foreign Aid Policy: The end of Aid?

Abstract

Although its origins date back further, foreign aid became an important foreign policy instrument in the international order shaped under the leadership of the United States (US) after World War II. From the early years of the post-war period, the US brought foreign aid to the forefront as a fundamental element of diplomacy. With the establishment of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1961, aid activities directed toward developing countries were given an institutional structure.However, during the term of Donald Trump, the 45th President of the US, rhetoric and practices opposing foreign aid were adopted. This approach represented a sharp break from the policies of all previous administrations since the post-war era. In 2025, when Trump returned to office as the 47th President, he implemented significant cuts to foreign aid shortly after taking office. He also terminated the operations of USAID. This radical step was interpreted in political and academic circles as an indication that the US had abandoned foreign aid as a tool of foreign policy and withdrawn from the global aid architecture. This study aims to present a qualitative analysis examining the historical development of the US’s foreign aid policies, as the founding and largest donor of the global aid system. It focuses on the dynamics of change and continuity in both discourse and practice. In this context, it discusses the potential implications of the Trump administration’s decision to end foreign aid for both US foreign policy and the global aid system.

Keywords

• United States Agency for International Development
• China
• Foreign aid
• Donald J. Trump
• Russia

ABD Dış Yardım Politikalarında “Trump Etkisi”: Dış Yardımın Sonu Mu?

Abstract

Kökenleri daha eskiye uzansa da, dış yardımlar İkinci Dünya Savaşı sonrasında Amerika Birleşik Devletleri (ABD) öncülüğünde şekillenen uluslararası düzende önemli bir dış politika aracına dönüşmüştür. ABD, savaş sonrası dönemin ilk yıllarından itibaren dış yardımı diplomasinin temel unsurlarından biri olarak öne çıkarmış; 1961 yılında Birleşik Devletler Uluslararası Kalkınma Ajansı’nın (United States Agency for International Development – USAID) kurulmasıyla birlikte, gelişmekte olan ülkelere yönelik yardım faaliyetlerini kurumsal bir yapıya kavuşturmuştur. Ancak ABD’nin 45. başkanı Donald Trump döneminde, dış yardıma karşı söylem ve uygulamalar benimsenmiş; bu yaklaşım, savaş sonrası dönemdeki tüm yönetimlerin politikalarından belirgin biçimde ayrılarak keskin bir kopuşu temsil etmiştir. 2025 yılında 47. başkan olarak ikinci kez göreve gelen Trump, göreve gelmesinin hemen ardından dış yardımlarda ciddi kesintilere gitmiş ve USAID’in faaliyetlerine son vermiştir. Bu radikal adım, siyasi ve akademik çevrelerde, ABD’nin dış yardımı bir dış politika aracı olarak terk ettiği ve küresel yardım mimarisinden geri çekildiği yönünde değerlendirilmiştir. Bu çalışma, küresel dış yardım sisteminin kurucusu ve en büyük donörü olan ABD’nin dış yardım politikalarının tarihsel gelişimini inceleyerek, söylem ve uygulamalardaki değişim ve sürekliliği ele alan nitel bir analiz sunmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu çerçevede, Trump yönetiminin dış yardımları sonlandırma yönündeki kararının, hem ABD dış politikası hem de küresel yardım sistemi üzerindeki olası etkilerini tartışmaktadır.

Keywords

• Birleşik Devletler Uluslararası Kalkınma Ajansı
• Çin
• Dış yardım
• Donald J. Trump
• Rusya

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