Chicago – September 27, 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday sided with former President Donald Trump, allowing his administration to withhold nearly $4 billion in foreign aid that had been approved by Congress for the current fiscal year. The decision marks another victory for Trump’s “America First” agenda, which often prioritized scaling back international commitments.
At the heart of the case is a constitutional question over presidential authority: while the Constitution grants Congress the power to allocate funds, the ruling highlights the president’s influence in determining how money is spent.
The administration had faced a legal challenge from several aid groups after Washington-based District Judge Amir Ali ordered officials to release the funds promptly.
In a brief, unsigned order, the justices lifted that ruling, with the court’s 6-3 conservative majority prevailing over the three liberal dissenters.
The court noted that the aid groups may not have legal standing to bring the case and warned that blocking Trump at this stage could limit the president’s ability to manage foreign affairs. The broader question of executive authority over congressional appropriations remains unresolved.
