Donald Trump's administration has cut or frozen up to $177 billion in federal grants since his second term began, with all 50 states and the District of Columbia affected, a new tracking tool shows. The tool, called Lost Funds, was released Wednesday by the States United Democracy Center, a pro-democracy nonprofit, and Grant Witness, a group of researchers and scientists, PBS NewsHour reported. The groups said the $177 billion total represents nearly 10% of federal discretionary spending.
What did the tracker find? Health, nutrition, the environment and disaster relief made up the largest share of the cuts, the two organizations found. Grants for maternal health in Michigan, education research in Mississippi and assistance to minority farmers in Iowa were among those eliminated, frozen or delayed, while California, Texas, New York, Illinois and North Carolina saw the highest amounts of interrupted grant money. The organizers said the disruptions went beyond the kind of cuts that typically happen when administrations change.
What did the organizers say? "By bringing thousands of funding disruptions from the Trump administration together in a publicly accessible, verified database, Lost Funds puts the magnitude of their impact on full display," Scott Delaney, co-founder of Grant Witness, said in a statement. Kelly Rader, the States United Democracy Center's research director, said the tool shows "the extraordinary scale and real human impact of these disruptions, and how states are once again on the front lines protecting their residents."
Who is behind the tracker? States United, which bills itself as a nonpartisan group dedicated to the rule of law and free, fair, secure elections, was cofounded by Norm Eisen, an attorney who has been involved in prominent lawsuits against the Trump administration, including over the Kennedy Center. Eisen left the center in 2024, PBS NewsHour reported. Grant Witness is made up of scientists, researchers and attorneys who document how funding is changing under the administration.
What happens next? The tool is open for public use and draws on USASpending.gov, an open data source of federal spending information, under the groups' methodology. They said it would be updated regularly as the administration takes new action and lawsuits move through the courts. In some cases, courts have ruled against the administration's grant funding cuts. A message seeking comment on the analysis was sent to the White House, PBS NewsHour reported.
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
