Knowledge of Trumps plans for USAID downsizing 2025| ��ƽ��

Share of U.S. adults who had heard about Trump’s plans to downsize the U.S. Agency for International Development, as of February 2025

Characteristic	Percentage of respondents
A lot	37%
Some	25%
A little	19%
Nothing at all	19%

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Release date

March 2025

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Region

United States

Survey time period

February 18 to 25, 2025

Number of respondents

1,322 respondents

Age group

18 years and older

Method of interview

Telephone interviews and online survey

Supplementary notes

Original question: "How much, if anything, have you heard about the Trump administration’s plans to significantly downsize the U.S. Agency for International Development, known as USAID?"

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A survey from February 2025 found that around 40 percent of U.S. adults had heard just a little or nothing at all about the Trump administration’s plans to significantly downsize the U.S. Agency for International Development, known as USAID. On the other hand, around 37 percent of respondents reported hearing a lot about Trump's plans for USAID.

In January 2025, President Trump ordered a pause on funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and a 90-day review of all U.S. foreign assistance. By the end of March, the review had been completed, 83 percent of USAID programs were terminated, and it was announced that certain USAID functions would be overtaken by the Department of State while all others would be discontinued.

Trump has said that the United States spends too much on foreign aid and accused USAID of being corrupt and a waste of money. However, foreign aid accounts for just one percent of the federal budget. Furthermore, it is predicted that millions of people will die due to the dissolution of USAID, as vulnerable people around the world will no longer be able to access prevention and treatment for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.