US: Protests against Trump’s Federal Aid Freeze

By Staff, Agencies

American protesters have staged a rally outside the White House in Washington DC against US President Donald Trump's plan to freeze federal aid as well as his controversial immigration policies.

The protesters shouted slogans such as “This is what democracy looks like” and held banners reading “Unfreeze funds” as they marched outside the White House on Tuesday, following Trump’s decision to pause trillions of dollars in federal funding.

The decision ignited widespread backlash nationwide, with Democrats pledging to challenge the move through legal action.

The Trump administration announced a halt to federal grants and loans, creating widespread confusion across the government, Congress, state programs and nonprofit organizations that rely on that funding.

Critics warned that the order could disrupt education, healthcare, poverty reduction and disaster relief schemes.

Officials in Trump’s administration claimed the funding freeze was necessary to ensure that all funding complies with Trump’s priorities, including his crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion [DEI] initiatives.

The Office of Management and Budget, which oversees the federal budget, said in a memo that the freeze included any money intended “for foreign aid” and for “nongovernmental organizations”, among other categories.