Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by the richest man in the world Elon Musk, and tasked with cutting what the new U.S. President deems as wasteful spending, has cut a $25,000 grant earmarked for LGBTQIA+ refugees in Greece.
The grant, titled “Empowering LGBTQIA+ Refugees in Greece,” aimed to provide material, legal, and psychological support to asylum seekers and refugees from the LGBTQIA+ community. It also sought to raise public awareness and promote understanding of the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals.
After the decision to halt the program, Musk commented on his media platform “X” (formerly Twitter) stating, “So many situations like this”, in response to a post from the account Libs of TikTok. The post, which featured images of the Greek flag and the LGBTQIA+ pride flag, posed the question, “Why are we funding this trash?”
The cancellation has stirred debate, with critics arguing that the program was essential for supporting vulnerable individuals and promoting inclusivity, while supporters of Musk’s stance contend that such funding priorities should be reevaluated.
The grant was part of USAID, a foreign aid operation of $68 billion (FY2023) covering economic development, humanitarian relief, and military assistance, according to foreignassistance.gov.
A large portion of aid is classified as foreign assistance—funding for economic growth, governance, and humanitarian relief—mainly managed by USAID and the State Department. Contrary to popular belief, foreign aid is not simply about generosity; it is tied to U.S. strategic interests.
Critics argue that much of this spending is inefficient. A 2024 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report flagged serious concerns including the lack of transparency in spending, the high administrative costs, and the concentration of funding to a few major recipients.
Southeast Europe is a regular recipient of U.S. foreign assistance with the states receiving approximately $830 million in aid in 2023. Moldova benefited the most with $309 million, while Greece received the least with $891,893.
Despite the relatively modest sum Greece received in 2023, U.S. foreign assistance supported education and social services ($550,000), as well as peace and security initiatives ($345,000).
