Image: Fat Finger
Q1. What percentage of US federal expenditures do you think should go to foreign assistance programs such as poverty relief, disaster relief, healthcare programs, technical advice/training, and economic development assistance?
overall
custom
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
0%
28%
41%
17%
56%
19%
2%
24%
38%
28%
23%
28%
1%
23%
23%
23%
28%
17%
18%
13%
16%
30%
25%
23%
2-4%
17%
16%
18%
3%
25%
28%
17%
17%
15%
19%
17%
4-7%
10%
9%
12%
4%
19%
14%
11%
11%
9%
12%
10%
7-10%
7%
3%
10%
1%
5%
13%
11%
5%
6%
8%
7%
More than 10%
5%
3%
8%
0%
6%
11%
11%
4%
4%
7%
5%
Don't know
9%
5%
12%
5%
9%
13%
13%
9%
8%
6%
9%
Don't care
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Q2. The US Agency for International Development (USAID), was created by Congress in 1961 with the goal of countering Soviet global influence during the Cold War by providing US humanitarian and development aid abroad. Congress determines how much USAID spends, and where it spends it.
Total US foreign aid was 4.5% of government expenditures during the Cold War, but fell with the dissolution of the Soviet Union to about 1%, where it remains today.
Last week, Elon Musk's Dept of Govt Efficiency (DOGE) advised the Trump administration to freeze USAID disbursements for 90 days with an eye to doing so permanently.
Which do you support when it comes to USAID's status?
Total US foreign aid was 4.5% of government expenditures during the Cold War, but fell with the dissolution of the Soviet Union to about 1%, where it remains today.
Last week, Elon Musk's Dept of Govt Efficiency (DOGE) advised the Trump administration to freeze USAID disbursements for 90 days with an eye to doing so permanently.
Which do you support when it comes to USAID's status?
overall
custom
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Shutting down USAID permanently
31%
40%
23%
62%
23%
2%
16%
30%
37%
31%
31%
Suspending disbursements for 90-day review
19%
24%
16%
36%
15%
3%
21%
18%
21%
18%
19%
Keep open for 90-day review
15%
16%
15%
3%
24%
26%
17%
11%
14%
22%
15%
Keep open, no review
33%
21%
45%
0%
38%
67%
45%
39%
28%
30%
33%
Don't know
1%
0%
1%
0%
0%
2%
0%
2%
1%
0%
1%
Don't care
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Q3. The line items at USAID that Musk and DOGE have cited as wasteful total about $12m, including $6m to fund tourism in Egypt, $2.5m for electric vehicles in Vietnam, and $1.5m to advance diversity in Serbia.
Musk also cited $8m spent on digital newspaper Politico as wasteful, but only $24k of that was by USAID.
Why do you think Musk has focused on USAID where total outlays are $40b, when DOGE's stated goal is $2t in cuts?
Musk also cited $8m spent on digital newspaper Politico as wasteful, but only $24k of that was by USAID.
Why do you think Musk has focused on USAID where total outlays are $40b, when DOGE's stated goal is $2t in cuts?
overall
custom
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Budgetary - helps get to $2t in cuts
17%
20%
15%
32%
10%
4%
21%
9%
22%
17%
17%
Messaging -- highlight govt waste
26%
31%
22%
48%
20%
5%
13%
30%
28%
24%
26%
Policy - dislikes projects USAID supports
20%
16%
24%
2%
25%
38%
31%
16%
19%
21%
20%
Politics - base against foreign aid
25%
24%
25%
6%
31%
42%
32%
31%
16%
27%
25%
Other
5%
3%
7%
2%
7%
7%
0%
9%
5%
3%
5%
He hasn't focused on USAID
5%
5%
5%
10%
3%
0%
0%
0%
8%
8%
5%
Don't know
2%
1%
2%
0%
4%
3%
3%
2%
1%
1%
2%
Don't care
1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
1%
0%
2%
0%
1%
As a pct of GDP, total US foreign aid is 0.2%, lower than most developed countries including Canada (0.4%), Japan (0.4%), the UK (0.6%) and Germany (0.9%)
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