A year after USAID shutdown, Americans still back foreign development aid, poll shows
The poll of 2,022 voters showed Republicans and President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) base were sceptical of foreign aid before getting more details. Nearly all Americans overestimated by far how much Washington spent on such programs, with over a third thinking they accounted for 20 per cent of the annual US budget. When told that foreign aid accounted for just 1pc of the US budget before 2025 and briefed on what it accomplished, Americans’ support grew to 70pc from 54pc, the poll showed.
- ▪The poll of 2,022 voters showed Republicans and President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) base were sceptical of foreign aid before getting more details.
- ▪Nearly all Americans overestimated by far how much Washington spent on such programs, with over a third thinking they accounted for 20 per cent of the annual US budget.
- ▪When told that foreign aid accounted for just 1pc of the US budget before 2025 and briefed on what it accomplished, Americans’ support grew to 70pc from 54pc, the poll showed.
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A year after USAID shutdown, Americans still back foreign development aid, poll shows Reuters Published June 30, 2026 0 USAID logo and US flag are seen in this illustration taken on April 23, 2025. — Reuters/File Listen to article 1x 1.2x 1.5x comments Join our Whatsapp Channel Add Dawn as a trusted source A year after the Trump administration dismantled the US Agency for International Development (USAID), most Americans still support foreign aid to provide disaster relief, prevent disease outbreaks and improve security, according to a new poll commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation and released on Tuesday. The poll of 2,022 voters showed Republicans and President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) base were sceptical of foreign aid before getting more details.
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