Donald Trump blinked. After months of promising the harshest immigration crackdown in American history, Trump is already walking back his plans. Facing a storm of criticism and internal dissent, he's suddenly saying that mass deportations might not be necessary after all, claiming that undocumented immigrants will leave "voluntarily."
Let’s be clear: Trump didn’t change his mind because he grew a conscience. He changed his mind because political pressure works.
And now it's time to apply that same pressure on foreign aid.
Under Trump and his billionaire enabler Elon Musk, the U.S. government has been systematically dismantling foreign aid programs that save millions of lives each year. Lifesaving HIV medication pipelines have collapsed. Food aid shipments have stalled. Trauma clinics, refugee assistance, and basic health services have evaporated in countries that depend on America’s leadership. All for what? To score cheap political points and fuel a far-right isolationist agenda.
But the cracks are showing. Just like on immigration, Trump’s foreign aid cuts aren’t as popular as his team would like you to think. Americans, by large margins, support humanitarian assistance. They understand that foreign aid isn’t charity, it’s leadership. It reflects the best of who we are as a nation.
Trump's recent retreat shows that even his most radical plans can be derailed when people speak up. He is vulnerable to public outcry. The question is whether we will raise our voices loudly enough to force another reversal.
Every time a clinic closes or a child goes without medication, we are not just witnessing policy failure. We are witnessing a betrayal of the postwar world order that American soldiers, diplomats, and aid workers helped build. USAID was never just an aid agency. It was a symbol of America’s promise to help lift others up instead of tearing them down.
We have already seen that pressure works. Now we need to double down.
Official Launch: Join Us in Washington, D.C. on July 9
After months of organizing, the Alliance for American Leadership is officially launching on July 9 in Washington, D.C. A4L is a new think tank and PAC focused on rebuilding broad, bipartisan support for U.S. foreign assistance.
Foreign aid isn’t charity, it’s strategy. It saves lives, strengthens alliances, and reflects America’s deepest values. Whether it’s fighting famine, providing HIV medication, or helping communities rebuild after conflict or disaster, smart foreign assistance promotes peace, stability, and global cooperation. And it costs less than one percent of the federal budget.
But foreign aid is under attack. Critical programs have been gutted. Shipments of food and medicine are stuck in warehouses. Lives are being lost while our political leaders look away.
We’re done waiting.
This is the first of 50 launch events planned in states across the country—from New York and California to Mississippi, Indiana, and Tennessee. A4L is working to show that Americans from all regions and backgrounds believe in leading with compassion, dignity, and responsibility.
RSVP for the July 9 launch party in D.C.: https://lnkd.in/edhDaMTF
Donate to support this work: https://givebutter.com/A4AL/samuelgeurtsenshoemate
Here’s what you can do today:
Call Congress. The Capitol switchboard is (202) 224-3121. Ask to speak with your senators and representative. Let them know you support humanitarian and development assistance, and that you expect them to stand up for it during budget negotiations. A quick call can make a real difference.
Get involved locally. If you're interested in attending or hosting a launch event in your state, let us know. We’re building this movement from the ground up.
Note: I’m a volunteer with the Alliance for American Leadership, but the views expressed in my articles are my own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of A4L.
America is at its best when it leads with purpose. Let’s show that this country still has the heart and the spine to lead.
