WASHINGTON — Most Americans support maintaining or expanding U.S. foreign aid after learning how much the country spends on international assistance and what the programs accomplish, according to a poll commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation and released Tuesday.
The survey of 2,022 registered voters found that initial skepticism toward foreign aid, particularly among Republicans and supporters of President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, eased significantly after respondents were given information about the scope and cost of the programs.
Before receiving additional information, 54% of respondents supported foreign aid. That figure rose to 70% after participants were told such programs accounted for only about 1% of the federal budget before 2025 and were used to provide disaster relief, prevent disease outbreaks and strengthen global security.
Support among Republicans increased to 58%, while half of self-identified MAGA Republicans said they backed foreign aid after learning more about its purpose and cost.
The poll also found widespread misconceptions about government spending. Nearly all respondents substantially overestimated the share of the federal budget devoted to foreign assistance, with more than one-third believing it represented 20% or more of annual spending.
Overall, 78% of those surveyed said the United States should either maintain or increase foreign aid funding.
“This data is a direct rebuttal to anyone who claims Americans have lost their appetite for the world,” said John Gans, a former Pentagon speechwriter who now leads the project at the Rockefeller Foundation.
“One year after USAID’s razing, a majority of Americans don’t just want to ensure federal funding to feed the hungry, cure the sick, and respond to crisis around the world — they see good reason to increase it,” Gans said.
President Trump made reducing foreign aid a central element of his “America First” agenda and ordered the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development shortly after returning to office in January 2025.
More than 10,000 USAID employees and contractors lost their jobs as thousands of overseas programs were terminated, disrupting humanitarian operations that had supported millions of people worldwide. U.S. foreign aid disbursements declined from $72 billion in fiscal year 2024 to $47 billion in fiscal year 2025, according to government data.
Respondents expressed especially strong support when asked about specific initiatives rather than foreign aid in general.
After being informed that funding reductions had contributed to the rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 62% of Republicans supported restoring assistance to combat the outbreak, compared with 24% who opposed doing so. Among MAGA Republicans, support reached 52%.
The Trump administration has since sought more than $1.4 billion in additional congressional funding to help contain the Ebola outbreak.
The survey also found that 80% of Americans favored reforming foreign aid programs and strengthening oversight rather than eliminating them altogether. Only 12% said all foreign assistance should be abolished regardless of its humanitarian or strategic consequences.
The poll was conducted by Echelon Insights between June 12 and June 16.
