Trump eyes slashing State Department budget by nearly half: Reports

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump's administration is looking to slash the State Department budget by about half, local media reports said Monday.

An internal memorandum, which was first reported by the Washington Post, said the proposal for fiscal year 2026 would allocate $28.4 billion to the State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which represents a decline of $27 billion from funding levels approved by Congress for 2025.

Humanitarian assistance would face cuts of 54%, while global health funding would fall by 55%, according to the memo.

While support for 20 international organizations, including NATO and the UN, would be eliminated, targeted contributions to a handful of organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Civil Aviation Authority, would continue.

The cuts would need to be approved by Congress, where they would likely face obstacles, even among Republican lawmakers.