Fact Check: "Executive Order 14169 froze U.S. foreign aid, causing disruptions in HIV programs and resulting in thousands of deaths"
What We Know
On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14169, titled "Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid." This order mandated a 90-day pause on all U.S. foreign development assistance to review the efficiency and alignment of these programs with U.S. foreign policy (source-1, source-2). The order specifically instructed department heads to halt new obligations and disbursements of development assistance funds, which included programs like PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) that are critical for HIV treatment and prevention in sub-Saharan Africa (source-4, source-5).
The immediate effects of this order were significant. Reports indicated that the pause in funding led to disruptions in various humanitarian efforts, including those aimed at combating HIV/AIDS. Some sources suggested that these disruptions could potentially lead to thousands of excess deaths if the freeze continued (source-6). However, specific data quantifying the number of deaths directly attributable to the funding freeze within the first month remains unclear.
Analysis
The claim that Executive Order 14169 caused immediate disruptions in HIV programs and resulted in thousands of deaths is partially true. The executive order did indeed implement a 90-day pause on foreign aid, which affected numerous programs, including those related to HIV/AIDS. The order's language explicitly states that all foreign development assistance was to be paused for assessment, which aligns with the assertion that this led to disruptions in vital health services (source-1, source-2).
However, the claim regarding thousands of deaths within the first month is more contentious. While there are reports suggesting that the disruptions could lead to significant health crises, including increased mortality rates, these claims often lack specific empirical evidence to quantify the exact number of deaths. The assertion of "tens to hundreds of thousands of excess deaths" if the freeze persists is a projection that may be based on historical data and modeling rather than immediate outcomes (source-4, source-6).
The reliability of sources discussing the potential death toll varies, with some being based on expert projections and others on anecdotal evidence from affected regions. Therefore, while the executive order did create a significant pause in foreign aid that could lead to dire consequences, the exact impact on mortality rates remains uncertain and requires further investigation.
Conclusion
The claim that Executive Order 14169 froze U.S. foreign aid, causing immediate disruptions in HIV programs and resulting in thousands of deaths within the first month, is partially true. The executive order did indeed halt foreign aid, which likely disrupted critical health services. However, the assertion regarding the specific number of deaths lacks precise evidence and should be viewed as a potential outcome rather than an established fact at this time.
Sources
- Reevaluating And Realigning United States Foreign Aid - White House
- Executive Order 14169—Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid - American Presidency Project
- DCPD-202500136 - Executive Order 14169—Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid - GovInfo
- The Trump Administration’s Foreign Assistance Review: Nuts and Bolts - Congress.gov
- Executive Order 14169 - Wikipedia - Wikipedia
- Executive Order: Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid - NAFSA
- EO 14169 "Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid" - ImmPolicyTracking