A federal appeals court has handed former President Donald Trump a significant victory, clearing the way for his administration to keep billions in U.S. foreign aid on ice.
In a 2–1 ruling, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s order that had forced the State Department to resume previously approved aid payments. The decision effectively shuts down a lawsuit brought by two nonprofit groups—AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and Journalism Development Network—that argued Trump’s freeze was unlawful.
Trump’s pause on all foreign aid began January 20, the day he started his second term. It was accompanied by sweeping moves to gut USAID, including sidelining staff and exploring folding the agency into the State Department.
Writing for the majority, Judge Karen Henderson said the nonprofits lacked legal standing to sue, noting that only the Government Accountability Office could challenge the funding halt. She stressed that the ruling did not weigh in on whether Trump’s order violated the Constitution’s separation of powers by bypassing Congress’s control over spending.
Judge Florence Pan, in dissent, warned the decision grants the presidency dangerously broad authority, calling it a “derailment” of the checks and balances that guard against tyranny.
The White House’s budget office celebrated the ruling, claiming it thwarts “radical left dark money groups” and allows Trump to manage foreign aid “in alignment with his America First policies.”
