Americans Still Back Foreign Aid Despite USAID Cuts, Poll Finds

A year after the Trump administration dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a new poll reveals that most Americans continue to support foreign aid for disaster relief, disease prevention, and security initiatives. The survey, commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation, polled 2,022 voters and found that while Republicans and the Make America Great Again (MAGA) base were initially skeptical, their support grew substantially upon learning more details about foreign aid programs.

Before receiving additional information, nearly all Americans significantly overestimated the portion of the U.S. budget allocated to foreign aid, with over a third believing it constituted 20% of the annual budget. However, once informed that foreign aid accounted for only 1% of the U.S. budget prior to 2025 and briefed on its accomplishments, public support rose from 54% to 70%. Republican support reached 58%, and even MAGA Republicans showed 50% backing for aid.

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This data is a direct rebuttal to anyone who claims Americans have lost their appetite for the world.

Former President Donald Trump had made cutting foreign aid a central promise of his "America First" campaign, leading to the closure of USAID upon his inauguration in January 2025. This resulted in the dismissal of over 10,000 USAID personnel and contractors and the cancellation of numerous programs, disrupting aid operations that millions of the world's poorest people relied upon. U.S. foreign aid disbursements fell to $47 billion in fiscal year 2025 from $72 billion the previous year, according to U.S. data. A study in The Lancet medical journal last year projected that these cuts could lead to over 14 million additional deaths by 2030.

The poll, conducted by Echelon Insights from June 12-16, found that 78% of respondents favored maintaining or increasing foreign aid. John Gans, a former Pentagon speechwriter and project lead at The Rockefeller Foundation, stated, "This data is a direct rebuttal to anyone who claims Americans have lost their appetite for the world." He added that a majority of Americans not only want to ensure federal funding for humanitarian efforts but also see good reason to increase it. Notably, MAGA voters, initially the most skeptical group, demonstrated a 27-point swing toward supporting foreign aid after receiving more information. For instance, after learning more about the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the role U.S. funding cuts played in its rapid spread, Republicans supported restoring aid by 62% to 24%, with MAGA voters agreeing by 52% to 34%.

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One year after USAID’s razing, a majority of Americans don’t just want to ensure federal funding to feed the hungry, cure the sick, and respond to crisis around the world, they see good reason to increase it.