This is penny-wise/pound-foolish. Setting aside the humanitarian interests, foreign aid also advances US interests around the world. There's a reason it comes

This is penny-wise/pound-foolish. Setting aside the humanitarian interests, foreign aid also advances US interests around the world. There's a reason it comes from the State Department, is handled by US NGOs, and is overseen by the CIA. Even a completely selfish/evil actor should still be smart enough to understand the value in stabilizing regions around the world and keeping trade partners happy. Whenever USAID pulled funding in places like Africa or South America, rivals or factions are more than happy to step in and exert their influence. We can literally see the future in places like Panama. USAID pulled the funding decades ago when they thought their mission was over, China came in with a bunch of their money and began exerting influence on the government and the canal, and now the current administration is threatening to spend a lot of time and money and brain cells over it. Is some USAID money basically bribing governments? Probably! But some of those bribes are going to central American governments in order to cut down on illegal immigration to the US. Cutting these payments works against their own goals.