Trump funding freeze halts decades of U.S. democracy work around the world
(NPR) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration has stopped funding practically all U.S. government work supporting democracy, human rights and press freedom around the globe.
President Trump issued an executive order last month halting congressionally appropriated foreign assistance, pending a review of the programs funded. That effectively shut down the work of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
In addition, the National Endowment for Democracy — which says the vast majority of its funding is not categorized as foreign assistance — says it can't access its accounts at the Treasury Department, where Elon Musk has deployed staff from his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) entity. NPR reached out to the Treasury for comment but didn't receive a response.
The endowment, which was created by Congress and is known as the NED, has had to furlough staff and suspend grants to about 1,800 partners in more than 100 countries.
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/16/nx-s1-5297844/trump-musk-democracy-usaid-authoritarian-human-rights-funding-freeze