The Trump administration is mounting a quiet but sweeping campaign to recast America's role in global development, pressing governments worldwide to endorse a "trade over aid" declaration at the United Nations later this month. In a cable reviewed by the Washington Post, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered US diplomats to formally lobby foreign counterparts by Monday for support of the measure, which is framed as a way to advance "America First values" and open new markets for US companies. The draft declaration, first reported by Devex, argues that foreign assistance has fostered "dependency, inefficiency, and corruption," asserting that private enterprise—not government aid—drives economic success.
The push comes as the administration moves to dismantle USAID and slash UN-linked funding as part of a broader retrenchment some analysts have dubbed a "great aid recession" and researchers warn could cost nearly 10 million lives by 2030. Critics, including a State Department official speaking anonymously to the Post, say the effort would leave poorer countries more exposed to exploitation by profit-seeking firms. The plan is expected to meet resistance at the UN, where some already view Trump-backed initiatives, such as the new Board of Peace, as attempts to weaken the institution. "It comes across as undermining the UN," says Sam Vigersky of the Council on Foreign Relations.
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