President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that called for a 90-day pause on new foreign-aid programs for efficiency and "consistency with U.S. foreign policy." The order got less attention than some of the others he signed that day but may have much more far-reaching effects.

When President Trump froze foreign assistance, he argued the drastic step was needed to eliminate waste and block what he derides as “woke” spending. Experts say the suspension has another, far more serious consequence: emboldening authoritarian strongmen.

Trump's overhaul of U.S. foreign assistance has led to chaos in the aid and development field, leaving hundreds of contractors in a severe financial crunch with some already having to lay off staff and others facing millions of dollars in unpaid invoices.

U.S. foreign aid is in disarray. The Trump administration froze most aid disbursements on Jan. 20. According to billionaire Elon Musk, an adviser to President Donald Trump with “ special government employee status ,