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President Donald Trump informed Congress on Friday that he is canceling nearly $5 billion in foreign aid previously approved, as lawmakers face an October 1 deadline to either fund the government or face a shutdown.
Trump is using a pocket rescission, which allows him to cancel the funding without Congress acting, since the fiscal year is almost over.
“Last night, President Trump CANCELED $4.9 billion in America Last foreign aid using a pocket rescission,” the Office of Management and Budget said on X. “[President Donald Trump] will always put AMERICA FIRST!”
The cuts include about $520 million from contributions to international organizations, $390 million from international peacekeeping activities, $322 million from the democracy fund, $445 million from Peacekeeping Operations, and more than $3 billion from development assistance.
Lawmakers from both parties criticized the move. “Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law,” said Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine.
Earlier in the week, Trump met with South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung. During the summit, he emphasized his ongoing relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “I have very good relationships with Kim Jong Un, North Korea,” Trump told reporters. “Someday I’ll see him. I look forward to seeing him. He was very good with me. We had two summits. We got along great.”
Trump also announced plans to pursue the death penalty in Washington, D.C., for murder convictions. “If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C., we’re going to be seeking the death penalty,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. “And that’s a very strong preventative.”
Although the Supreme Court banned the death penalty in 1972 and the D.C. Council officially repealed it in 1981, Trump had previously signed an executive order titled “Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety,” which directed the attorney general to pursue capital punishment for the most severe crimes.
In addition, Trump weighed in on the Cracker Barrel logo controversy. After the chain decided to remove “Uncle Herschel” from its branding, Trump urged them to reverse course. “Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before,” he wrote on social media.
Hours later, Cracker Barrel announced it was reverting to its longtime logo. Trump responded, “Congratulations ‘Cracker Barrel’ on changing your logo back to what it was. All of your fans very much appreciate it.”
