U.S. Supreme Court Backs Trump Administration in $4 Billion Foreign Aid Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday in favor of former President Donald Trump, allowing his administration to withhold roughly $4 billion in foreign aid approved by Congress for the current fiscal year. The decision supports Trump’s ongoing “America First” agenda, which prioritizes scaling back U.S. involvement abroad.

The justices overturned an order from Washington-based U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, who had directed the administration to release the funds. His ruling followed a lawsuit filed by aid organizations challenging the administration’s refusal to disburse the money.

At the center of the case is the question of how much authority a president has to block funds already appropriated by Congress. Administration lawyers argued the money conflicted with U.S. foreign policy goals, while critics said withholding it undermined Congress’s constitutional “power of the purse.”

The disputed funds, which expire at the end of the 2025 fiscal year on September 30, were earmarked for foreign aid programs, United Nations peacekeeping operations, and global democracy initiatives.

Judge Ali had previously ruled that the administration must comply with congressional appropriations unless lawmakers act to change them. But the Justice Department countered that his injunction posed “a grave and urgent threat to the separation of powers.”

White House budget director Russell Vought defended the move as a legal “pocket rescission,” allowing the president to freeze funds for up to 45 days while requesting their cancellation. The tactic, last used in 1977, has drawn criticism from legal experts, who argue Trump’s approach has no modern precedent and could give the president sweeping power to bypass Congress.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit refused to block Ali’s ruling, prompting the administration to seek Supreme Court intervention. On September 9, the high court temporarily paused Ali’s order while considering the case.

This marks yet another instance in which the Supreme Court—currently holding a 6-3 conservative majority—has sided with Trump’s administration. Since his return to office in January, the court has consistently backed key policies challenged in lower courts.

In a related case earlier this year, however, the justices narrowly voted 5-4 against the administration’s attempt to withhold $2 billion already owed to aid groups for completed work.