Trump policy decisions to have big impact on overseas aid and global climate agenda

The world changed on January 20th, 2025, when Donald Trump was inaugurated as US president for a second term. In the following weeks, he made decisions that have radically changed US domestic and foreign policy. His domestic policy changes are an assault on the role of the state in providing services for US citizens, with unelected Elon Musk leading the charge.

His changes in foreign policy represent no less than a dismantling of the world order that the then-US government brought about after the second World War under statesmen such as Harry Truman, George Marshall and Dean Acheson – the Pax Americana – which has prevailed, more or less, until the present day.

It remains to be seen what impact his range of tariff impositions will have on future international trading arrangements and on global economic growth.

The main focus of this article is on the impact of his decisions on the global humanitarian situation and the prospects for international development.

Among his earliest decisions was to withdraw the US from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Paris Climate Agreement.

He signed an executive order on January 20th confirming the US intention to wi...
[Short citation of 8% of the original article]