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The Death of USAID Is a Victory for Authoritarians and Theocrats [1]

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Date: 2025-05-25

The world we built is crumbling—and they’re cheering.

USAID, once a pillar of the postwar liberal order, is being quietly dismantled. It was never just about food shipments or medical kits. It was a statement: that dignity, development, and democracy were worth investing in. Now, with its programs slashed and its presence receding, the global message is just as clear—you're on your own.

And in that silence, others are speaking louder.

In El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele’s regime has introduced a “foreign agents registry” targeting the very civil society groups once bolstered by USAID. These groups tracked corruption, expanded education, and protected free expression. With U.S. support pulled, Bukele is clearing the field of opposition. It’s not a coincidence. It’s a blueprint.

At home, the vacuum is being eyed by American religious institutions. A widely circulated op-ed recently called on the LDS Church to replace USAID’s role. That’s not aid. That’s soft power, dressed in scripture. And it signals something deeper: the transition from a rules-based, rights-anchored approach to one driven by ideology, not inclusion.

This is not fiscal restraint. It’s retreat.

And not just any retreat—a retreat from secular democracy, from multilateralism, from the idea that the powerful bear responsibility beyond their borders.

What replaces USAID will not be neutral. It will be doctrinal. It will be nationalist, evangelical, strongman-approved. Whether it’s a Christian charity demanding conversion or a caudillo silencing dissent, the result is the same: power without accountability.

For a generation raised on the myth that democracy had won, the collapse of global aid is a reminder: nothing is permanent. Not institutions. Not values. Not even the belief that decency can be a policy.

This isn’t about one agency. It’s about a worldview. One that says human suffering matters even when it’s far away. One that believes freedom must be nourished, not assumed. That worldview is dying—and its enemies, both foreign and domestic, know it.

They aren’t mourning. They’re celebrating.

We are Fighting Back . You Can Too.

The Alliance for American Leadership is tracking the impact of aid cuts, rallying support to restore funding, meeting with members of Congress, and reminding Americans of the real meaning of American leadership: decency, duty, and hope.

In just our first two months, we've recruited over 400 volunteers from 41 states, including 23 senior campaign strategists and the former Briefing Manager for the Kamala Harris Presidential Campaign.

And we’re only getting started.

We are on track to mobilize 5,000 volunteers by the 2026 midterm elections to fight for American leadership. We will resist fascism, restore USAID, and rebuild America’s role as a force for good in the world. This is our moment to lead with integrity and purpose, showing the world. What true American values are all about.

But behind every meeting, every voice, and every victory is the operational engine that makes it all possible — and right now, we need your help to keep it running.

We must raise $20,000 to sustain the operational infrastructure that powers this movement. That means funding our digital outreach and empowering the young, diverse, and working-class leaders who are too often left out of the fight. Your support keeps the lights on, the teams moving, and the pressure on Congress at full force.

If you want to stand with us:

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