Trump administration cuts or freezes $177 billion in federal grants across all states

An analysis by the States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness reveals that the Trump administration has cut or frozen up to $177 billion in federal grants during President Donald Trump's second term. The disruptions, which represent nearly 10% of federal discretionary spending, affected all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Health, nutrition, the environment, and disaster relief saw the largest cuts, with California and Texas experiencing the highest funding losses.

Federal grant funding cuts

• ▪The Trump administration has cut or frozen up to $177 billion in federal grants since President Donald Trump took office for his second term
• ▪The $177 billion in cut or frozen federal grants since President Donald Trump took office for his second term represents nearly 10% of federal discretionary spending, according to the States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness

Health nutrition environment relief

• ▪Health, nutrition, the environment, and disaster relief made up the largest share of the $177 billion in federal grant cuts implemented by the Trump administration since President Donald Trump took office for his second term
• ▪The $177 billion in federal grant disruptions implemented by the Trump administration since President Donald Trump took office for his second term included the elimination, freezing, or delaying of grants related to maternal health in Michigan, education research in Mississippi, and assistance to minority farmers in Iowa

State-level impact distribution

• ▪California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and North Carolina experienced the highest amounts of interrupted federal grant money under the Trump administration during President Donald Trump's second term
• ▪The $177 billion in federal grant cuts and freezes implemented by the Trump administration since President Donald Trump took office for his second term affected all 50 states and the District of Columbia

Lost Funds tracking tool

• ▪Kelly Rader, the research director for the States United Democracy Center, stated that the Lost Funds tracker, released by the States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness, shows the extraordinary scale and real human impact of the $177 billion in grant disruptions caused by the Trump administration
• ▪The States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness released a public tracking tool called Lost Funds on September 16, 2026, to document federal grant disruptions
• ▪The Lost Funds tracking tool, released by the States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness, relies on federal spending data from the open data source USASpending.gov and is designed to be updated regularly as new actions are taken

Court rulings on cuts

• ▪The organizers of the Lost Funds tracker, released by the States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness, plan to update the database regularly as lawsuits challenging the $177 billion in grant cuts move through the courts
• ▪Courts have ruled against the Trump administration's $177 billion in grant funding cuts in some cases

Grant Witness research organization

• ▪The States United Democracy Center bills itself as a nonpartisan group dedicated to the rule of law and free, fair, and secure elections
• ▪Grant Witness is an organization of scientists, researchers, and attorneys that documents how federal funding is changing under the administration of President Donald Trump

Debatable claims

• ▪The Trump administration's federal grant cuts unacceptably harm state-level public services
• ▪The Trump administration's freezing of federal grants violates the separation of powers