Trump’s executive orders on global health signal a retreat from prior U.S. policy, which was characterized as a wielding of soft power by co-option rather than coercion.
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WASHINGTON, DC: A flag outside of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters … [+] is seen on February 3, 2025. Elon Musk, tech billionaire and head of the Department of Government Efficiency, said in a social media post that he and President Trump will shut down the foreign assistance agency. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesKFF reports that the United States has far and away been the largest donor country to global public health in the world. But a flurry of executive orders issued by President Trump since his inauguration signal a major departure from previous U.S. foreign aid policy, which was characterized as a wielding of soft power by way of co-option rather than coercion.
