President Trump on Friday called for a review of federal funding to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and for a halt on spending to groups that “undermine the national interest.”
“The United States Government has provided significant taxpayer dollars to [NGOs], many of which are engaged in actions that actively undermine the security, prosperity, and safety of the American people. It is the policy of my Administration to stop funding NGOs that undermine the national interest,” a Friday memo from the White House reads.
The memo directs heads of executive departments and agencies to review “all funding” they provide to NGOs, and calls for future funding decisions to “align” with “the interests of the United States and with the goals and properties of my Administration.”
The move comes after the Trump administration put a freeze on funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and reportedly slashed its employees this week as part of the president’s crackdown on government spending and overhaul of U.S. foreign aid.
The broad announcement did not name specific NGOs. According to the State Department, there are some 1.5 million such advocacy and service groups operating in the United States, focusing on social and economic issues including elections, health care and women’s rights, among many others.