The Intelligence from The Economist Aid pro quo: Trump weaponises foreign help
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Oct 15, 2025 
Kerry-Anne Richmond Jones, an international-economics correspondent at The Economist, discusses how Trump has reshaped US foreign aid to prioritize personal allies and counter China. Matthew Simons, an economist, reveals Ukraine's strategic strikes on Russian fuel infrastructure, highlighting the impacts on Russia's refining capacity. Sunny Lochman explores the success of J.D. Wetherspoon, a pub chain thriving amidst a national decline, thanks to its value strategy and broad appeal. The episode offers a captivating look at politics, war, and business in today's world.
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Aid Was Repurposed Not Abandoned
- Donald Trump dismantled large parts of the US development apparatus but repurposed remaining funds toward geopolitical aims.
- Aid is now being
Institutions Survive In Altered Form
- USAID was closed and many programmes moved under the State Department, shrinking teams and changing priorities.
- The Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Development Finance Corporation survive but with clipped mandates and pro-Trump leadership.
Friends Get Bailouts, Not Bednets
- One tranche of aid targets countries Trump personally likes, funding bailouts and swaps rather than traditional development projects.
- The Argentina $20bn swap exemplifies using finance as bilateral leverage and risk.