A Biden-appointed judge made headlines last month when he ordered that the Trump administration reverse its cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

While the judge later repeated his order, the Supreme Court has since given the White House reason to cheer by temporarily blocking it. 

White House" Order is "at odds with the President’s obligations under Article II"

According to Fox News, Chief Justice John Roberts issued the pause this past Wednesday on U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali's demand.

His move came just hours before a deadline by which the White House would have to reinstate some $2 billion worth of funding to USAID contractors.

Administration lawyers had accused Ali of creating "an untenable payment plan at odds with the President’s obligations under Article II to protect the integrity of the federal fisc and make appropriate judgements(sic) about foreign aid – clear forms of irreparable harm."

Fox News noted how the Trump administration is seeking to eliminate $60 in foreign financial assistance and reduce USAID's foreign aid contract by 90%.

USAID funded Serbian LGBTQI+ as well as atheism outreach in Nepal

USAID became a source of controversy after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) uncovered a slew of questionable spending decisions.

As the Daily Mail reported, they included paying a Serbian LGBTQI+ organization $1.5 million to "advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities, by promoting economic empowerment of and opportunity for LGBTQI+ people in Serbia."

The group seeks to "foster an environment that increases employment potential for LGBTQI+ persons" as well as increase "opportunities for LGBTQI+ entrepreneurs, and reduces workplace discrimination."

‘Spreading atheism’: Vance warns religious efforts abroad ‘corrupted’ by US bureaucracy amid USAID controversy https://t.co/F5uv3w96Xi

— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 6, 2025

What's more, USAID also budgeted half a million dollars for promoting atheism in Nepal, a move which was denounced by Vice President J.D. Vance.

High-level USAID official put on leave after scathing memo

Meanwhile, CNN reported on Monday that a high-ranking USAID official was placed on leave after circulating a scathing memo.

The document was authored late last month by Nicholas Enrich, who serves as acting administrator for global health at USAID.

It alleged that policies implemented by the Trump administration will "no doubt result in preventable death, destabilization, and threats to national security on a massive scale."

"These actions individually and in combination have resulted in the U.S. Government’s failure to implement critical lifesaving activities," he added.