US- The incoming Donald Trump Republican administration has blocked millions of dollars in taxpayer funds allocated by the outgoing Biden administration for LGBTQI initiatives in Zimbabwe.
Republican House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Brian Mast (R., Fla.) criticised the proposals in a letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) administrator Samantha Power.
Mast’s letter, underscores growing Republican frustration with what they view as ideologically driven foreign aid programs.
“In recent weeks, my office has been made aware of hundreds of millions of dollars of proposed obligations for initiatives that offer no clear national security benefit to the U.S. or its allies,” Mast wrote.
Among the targeted programs were efforts to combat climate change in the Middle East and promote LGBTQI awareness in Zimbabwe, a southern African country with a deeply entrenched anti-gay stance and a history of criminalising same-sex relationships.
Mast’s letter reflects his intent to block these expenditures, citing the recent midterm elections as evidence that Americans demand more accountability in government spending.
“The American people sent a clear message in November that they will no longer tolerate uncontrolled spending on programs that are incompatible with the United States’ interests abroad,” Mast wrote. “As their representative, I cannot, in good faith, allow you to spend millions of dollars to combat climate change in the war-torn Middle East or fund LGBTQI awareness in Zimbabwe – both of which are among your recent proposals.”
Zimbabwe’s government and society are notoriously hostile to LGBTQI rights, with same-sex relationships criminalised and public discourse often rife with homophobic rhetoric.
Critics argue that such initiatives risk backlash that could endanger local activists and alienate an already resistant population.
These concerns are compounded by Zimbabwe’s historical ties to the U.S., which are predominantly rooted in diplomatic and economic partnerships rather than progressive social reform.
Leveraging long-standing congressional precedent, Mast vowed to put the funds on hold to prevent the outgoing administration from finalising the expenditures.
He highlighted plans to reassess such programs under the incoming Trump administration, which is expected to prioritise more conservative foreign policy and aid strategies.
In defense of its policies, the State Department maintained that the initiatives align with long-standing bipartisan goals.
“The policies and current spending of the administration align with bipartisan foreign policy and national security goals that span many administrations – such as advancing democracy and human rights, protecting and ensuring access to natural resources, and increasing access to education and innovation,” a spokesperson told National Review.
However, Mast has doubled down on his broader critique of Biden-era foreign aid, releasing a December report detailing the State Department’s use of taxpayer dollars for progressive programs.
These included hosting drag shows in Ecuador, facilitating illegal migrants’ navigation of the U.S. asylum system, and even domestic censorship efforts targeting conservative media.
Source-National Review/ZimEye