SC Attorney General Alan Wilson, Trump administration win major federal court victory against USAID

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has sided with his office and the Trump administration in a high-profile battle over U.S. foreign aid spending, delivering a decisive win for the President’s initiative to root out wasteful spending in American foreign policy. 

“This is a major victory against the D.C. activist class that thinks they can run America’s foreign policy from a courtroom,” Attorney General Wilson said. “The President has every right to ensure that taxpayer dollars actually serve American interests. For too long, foreign aid has been treated like a bottomless slush fund for global NGOs and D.C. insiders. That ends now. This ruling sends a clear message: America’s resources will be spent to strengthen America first, not to bankroll the pet projects of unelected bureaucrats and special interest groups.” 

The Court of Appeals vacated a lower court’s order that blocked President Trump’s executive action that withheld the wasteful spending that was flowing through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This decision means the administration’s policy to reevaluate and, if necessary, redirect foreign aid can move forward. 

At the heart of the case was a simple question: Who gets to call the shots on U.S. foreign aid -- the President and his cabinet, or private organizations with contracts?  

Attorney General Wilson, who led a coalition of 20 state attorneys general supporting the administration, said the ruling protects taxpayers by ensuring foreign aid spending remains in the hands of the Chief Diplomat and Commander in Chief of the United States. 

“This was about keeping our foreign policy decisions where they belong, with leaders elected to represent the American people,” Wilson said. “It’s not about politics; it’s about the separation of powers and making sure every dollar works for our citizens first.” 

The court’s decision clears the way for the Trump administration to complete its comprehensive review of U.S. foreign assistance programs, ensuring that future spending aligns with national priorities. 

You can read the Court’s opinion here.