The Trump Administration and Development

CGD experts are closely monitoring what the change in leadership in the United States portends for US development policy. Watch this space for detailed analysis of the new administration’s actions.

More from the Series

Blog Post
Is the New Budget Deal Good for Foreign Aid? Maybe. Is it Good for Developing Countries? Probably Not.
February 09, 2018
Foreign aid advocates might be tempted to take heart from the budget deal just struck on Capitol Hill. But the overall shift in the US fiscal position, driven primarily by last year's tax cuts and furthered by this spending agreement, suggests that developing countries will be net losers by orde...
Blog Post
How the Trump Administration’s Plan Would Shape the Composition of Immigration: First Numerical Estimates
January 30, 2018
As the US Administration presses for the most extensive revision to immigration law since 1965, with the largest cuts to legal immigration since 1924 in the proposed “Securing America’s Future Act,” a new CGD analysis quantifies for the first time how the proposed cu...
Blog Post
Why President Trump’s Blunt Threats to Cut Off US Foreign Aid Are Unique and Counterproductive
December 22, 2017
Given that US foreign aid has always been linked to national security, how much of a departure is President Trump’s approach from that of previous administrations? And what should we expect to happen to the 128 countries that voted to express “deep regret” over recent decisions on ...
Blog Post
How Does Development Fare in Trump’s National Security Strategy?
December 20, 2017
This week, the White House unveiled the first National Security Strategy of the Trump administration. As always, we were eager to see how the strategy considered the role of development. While there’s a lot to unpack in the 68-page document, here ar...
Blog Post
Where Is Trump Headed on Foreign Aid? Five Takeaways from the Tillerson and Green Hearings
June 23, 2017
After months of speculation, we are finally getting some clarity on the broad outlines—and internal debates—of development policy under the Trump administration. Here are five main takeaways from hearings with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and USAID administrator nominee Mark Green:
Blog Post
Five Questions (and Answers) for USAID Administrator Nominee Mark Green
June 14, 2017
Ambassador Mark Green—President Trump’s pick to lead the US Agency for International Development (USAID)—is slated to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his nomination hearing on Thursday morning. Drawing on themes of efficiency, effectiveness, ...
Blog Post
Rex Tillerson’s Hearings before Congress: What Was Said and What CGD Experts Think
June 14, 2017
Here, CGD experts Amanda Glassman, Scott Morris, and Jeremy Konyndyk weigh in on some of the key points we heard (and live tweeted) during Secretary Tillerson’s testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and, later, when he answered questions from the Senate Appropriations Subcomm...