From Grants to Gutting: Analyzing Recent Cuts
July 14th, 2025
Ruhaan Sood
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July 14th, 2025
Ruhaan Sood
In late January 2025, President Trump signed a plethora of executive orders, many of which were dedicated to cutting the US federal workforce and its programs. Only now have most of those signed orders gone into effect, some devastating the American population. In all, about 2,600 programs were on the chopping block due to concerns over cost and equity.
Education
As of July 14th, the Department of Education has begun its plan of withholding or delaying approximately $6.8 billion in federal funding for a variety of federally supported school programs. Some grants completely cut involve those towards Title 1-C (Migrant Education), II-A (teacher training) and IV A/B (after-school programs). These startling program cuts come just after the Trump administration cancelled all plans of student loan debt forgiveness while also increasing federal pressure on higher institutions.
Consequences are already becoming clear. Organizations like the “Boys and Girls Club of America,” federally backed programs with support for low-income Americans have been threatened by the sudden freeze in funding grants. 20 States have sued the administration for removing funding for school upkeep and resources supporting socioeconomically-disadvantaged populations. It is likely that without intervention, the total number of active federal education programs could be massively reduced.
Foreign Aid
Perhaps one of the more well known cuts has been toward aid to foreign allies. As soon as Trump stepped into office, his administration nearly dismantled USAID—the federal body responsible for managing economic aid to countries across the world. Massive staff cuts at associated agencies have reduced the workforce from 10,000 to a mere 300, including pausing new hiring orders and applications for future aid. The State Department budget fell significantly, forcing the Department to pause humanitarian funding, withdraw peacekeeping and cut US-backed international projects. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations found that without US aid to several world-wide programs, an estimated 10 million people could die.
Healthcare
The American healthcare system is by far the most concerning industry to bear the worst of the funding cuts. Under the Trump administration, a higher emphasis has been placed on out-of-pocket private healthcare rather than government-funded programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The signage Trump’s tax cut bill—formally known as “The Big Beautiful Bill”—has writing to cut over 1,600 research grants for medicinal research, one-third of clinical trials and over $200 billion from the American SNAP program—a food stamps program focused on providing nutrition to children and Americans under or near the poverty line. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has lost nearly $1 billion in funding for fighting critical conditions like Sickle Cell Anemia and HIV/AIDS. With Medicare and Medicaid nearly entirely slashed in eligibility due to funding cuts, an estimated 17 million Americans are expected to lose all healthcare coverage, potentially causing rural hospitals to also shut down.
In total, major programs have been completely gutted by the Trump administration. In terms of basic welfare, healthcare and primary education, Americans are running out of options for assistance without proper governmental support. These cuts align with the most established “America First” ideology targeting programs related to climate, globalist and equity efforts. In all, it’s part of a larger, politically driven effort to reshape the American social safety net and enterprise, harming populations and posing a risk to millions.
Extemp Analysis by: Ty Tan
The nature of Trump’s cuts is broad, so you have the liberty of taking your answer in many directions.
Question: What will be the effects of Trump’s broad cuts to American public services?
Background: To frame the background, I would focus on how American public services broadly, probably framing it as:
Trump’s cuts
Their broad reaching effects
How they may damage American public services
A good background should be broad and open you up to a lot of possibilities.
Answer: Major negative effects, by damaging American livelihoods
Cutting education services
Laying off federal workers
Killing American healthcare
Analysis + Concluding Thoughts
I think there are many other points you could’ve used. There are so many ways you could take Trump’s cuts and their impacts. Aim for really touching American hearts by framing stories and telling strong narratives of suffering as a result of Trump's actions.
Read More Here:
In late January 2025, President Trump signed a plethora of executive orders, many of which were dedicated to cutting the US federal workforce and its programs. Only now have most of those signed orders gone into effect, some devastating the American population. In all, about 2,600 programs were on the chopping block due to concerns over cost and equity.
Education
As of July 14th, the Department of Education has begun its plan of withholding or delaying approximately $6.8 billion in federal funding for a variety of federally supported school programs. Some grants completely cut involve those towards Title 1-C (Migrant Education), II-A (teacher training) and IV A/B (after-school programs). These startling program cuts come just after the Trump administration cancelled all plans of student loan debt forgiveness while also increasing federal pressure on higher institutions.
Consequences are already becoming clear. Organizations like the “Boys and Girls Club of America,” federally backed programs with support for low-income Americans have been threatened by the sudden freeze in funding grants. 20 States have sued the administration for removing funding for school upkeep and resources supporting socioeconomically-disadvantaged populations. It is likely that without intervention, the total number of active federal education programs could be massively reduced.
Foreign Aid
Perhaps one of the more well known cuts has been toward aid to foreign allies. As soon as Trump stepped into office, his administration nearly dismantled USAID—the federal body responsible for managing economic aid to countries across the world. Massive staff cuts at associated agencies have reduced the workforce from 10,000 to a mere 300, including pausing new hiring orders and applications for future aid. The State Department budget fell significantly, forcing the Department to pause humanitarian funding, withdraw peacekeeping and cut US-backed international projects. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations found that without US aid to several world-wide programs, an estimated 10 million people could die.
Healthcare
The American healthcare system is by far the most concerning industry to bear the worst of the funding cuts. Under the Trump administration, a higher emphasis has been placed on out-of-pocket private healthcare rather than government-funded programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The signage Trump’s tax cut bill—formally known as “The Big Beautiful Bill”—has writing to cut over 1,600 research grants for medicinal research, one-third of clinical trials and over $200 billion from the American SNAP program—a food stamps program focused on providing nutrition to children and Americans under or near the poverty line. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has lost nearly $1 billion in funding for fighting critical conditions like Sickle Cell Anemia and HIV/AIDS. With Medicare and Medicaid nearly entirely slashed in eligibility due to funding cuts, an estimated 17 million Americans are expected to lose all healthcare coverage, potentially causing rural hospitals to also shut down.
In total, major programs have been completely gutted by the Trump administration. In terms of basic welfare, healthcare and primary education, Americans are running out of options for assistance without proper governmental support. These cuts align with the most established “America First” ideology targeting programs related to climate, globalist and equity efforts. In all, it’s part of a larger, politically driven effort to reshape the American social safety net and enterprise, harming populations and posing a risk to millions.
Extemp Analysis by: Ty Tan
The nature of Trump’s cuts is broad, so you have the liberty of taking your answer in many directions.
Question: What will be the effects of Trump’s broad cuts to American public services?
Background: To frame the background, I would focus on how American public services broadly, probably framing it as:
Trump’s cuts
Their broad reaching effects
How they may damage American public services
A good background should be broad and open you up to a lot of possibilities.
Answer: Major negative effects, by damaging American livelihoods
Cutting education services
Laying off federal workers
Killing American healthcare
Analysis + Concluding Thoughts
I think there are many other points you could’ve used. There are so many ways you could take Trump’s cuts and their impacts. Aim for really touching American hearts by framing stories and telling strong narratives of suffering as a result of Trump's actions.
Read More Here: