Overview
- The Rockefeller Foundation commissioned poll, released Tuesday, found 78% of 2,022 voters favored maintaining or increasing foreign aid spending while only 12% supported blanket cuts.
- When respondents were told foreign aid made up about 1% of the federal budget and shown examples of results, overall support rose from 54% to 70% and Republican backing climbed to 58%.
- MAGA-aligned voters shifted sharply after the briefing, moving 27 points toward support and reaching roughly 50% backing for aid once they had the cost and impact context.
- The poll underscores consequences of the January 2025 USAID shutdown, which removed more than 10,000 staff and contractors and saw U.S. aid disbursements fall to $47 billion from $72 billion, a reduction linked by researchers to worsening health outcomes.
- The Trump administration has requested more than $1.4 billion for an Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the survey shows most voters prefer targeted restorations and stronger safeguards rather than wholesale elimination of aid, a shift that could press Congress to approve focused funding.