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Trump Cuts the One Government Program That Actually Saves Money — Because Helping People Offends Him [1]

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Date: 2025-06-16

Donald Trump loves to say that he's saving American taxpayers money. But once again, the facts tell a very different story. His latest move to defund the Treasury Department's Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) is not just petty, it's actively self-defeating.

OTA is one of those rare government programs that quietly makes things better. It sends American experts overseas to help developing countries build functioning tax systems, banking regulations, and financial oversight. In plain English: it helps poor countries collect taxes, catch corruption, and avoid financial crises. And when those governments get their finances in order, they need less foreign aid down the road. That saves American taxpayers billions of dollars in the long run.

But Trump doesn’t care about the long run. OTA's budget is tiny: just $38 million a year. For perspective, that's about the cost of one fighter jet. And according to multiple government audits, OTA's work has already saved the U.S. billions by stabilizing fragile economies before they collapse and require massive international bailouts. Cutting it is like refusing to patch a roof because you want to save money on nails.

So why is Trump cutting it? The same reason he’s slashing USAID, gutting global health programs, and defunding emergency food aid: he doesn't want the United States engaged in international leadership unless it's for personal profit or political theatrics. Any program that reflects America’s moral leadership or global responsibility is being axed.

Even more stunning is that many of OTA's projects directly serve U.S. national security interests. When countries like Ukraine or Egypt build better financial institutions, it reduces the space for money laundering, terror financing, and political instability. In other words: it makes America safer. But that apparently doesn't fit the "America First" branding exercise Trump wants to run.

The Republican Party used to at least pretend to care about government efficiency. Now they’re cutting programs that save more than they cost, just to prove a political point. The party of fiscal responsibility is bankrupting both America's finances and its global leadership.

Congress should step in immediately. Cutting OTA won’t make America stronger. It will make us poorer, less secure, and less respected in the world.

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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