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Trump wants to halve State Dept budget, slash foreign aid 75% [1]

['Jonathan Landay', 'Humeyra Pamuk']

Date: 2025-04-14

Trump wants to halve State Dept budget, slash foreign aid 75% President Donald Trump's administration wants to halve the State Department budget, cutting more than $30 billion, sources said.

Show Caption Hide Caption Farmers brace for cuts to USAID and USDA Farmers, who already operate under thin margins, said funding cuts to programs like USAID, USDA and a new trade war were concerning.

The administration is considering a recommendation to shut down at least 27 missions largely in Africa and in Europe, according to a separate internal memo seen by Reuters.

Ten of those missions targeted for closure are embassies and the rest are consulates.

WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump's administration wants to halve the State Department budget, cutting more than $30 billion, in fiscal 2026, four U.S. officials familiar with the plan said on Monday - a massive reduction that could see nearly 30 U.S. missions shut and foreign aid slashed by nearly 75%.

The sources said the cuts are outlined in a response by the White House budget office – the Office of Management and Budget – to funding requests submitted by the State Department for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on October 1.

More: Trump-appointed official who oversaw dismantling of USAID leaves State Department

As part of the plan - which is yet to be finalized - the administration is considering a recommendation to shut down at least 27 missions largely in Africa and in Europe, according to a separate internal memo seen by Reuters. Ten of those missions are embassies and the rest are consulates.

That document provides ideas on how to shift towards a lower-cost operating model in at least four other overseas missions. It also outlines how some multi-mission posts such as the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris can be consolidated.

The State Department, the White House and the OMB did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

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[1] Url: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/14/trump-cut-state-department-slash-foreign-aid/83087292007/

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