American foreign assistance can be a powerful instrument of good — but is best when it is managed with discipline, strategic intent, and genuine accountability. We know this from direct experience running foreign assistance at the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development during the first Trump administration. The lesson was unambiguous: The effectiveness of American influence abroad hinges greatly on the accountability structures behind it.

The Trump administration deserves credit for attempting to align our assistance with U.S. national security, economic, and health priorities. By treating foreign aid as a strategic tool, the president can use common sense to demand that every dollar serve the American taxpayer. This shift toward a results-driven framework is a victory for common sense that all of Washington should endorse. We also must remember that the United States has always been guided by our values. We have helped the poor, downtrodden, those places and people around the globe facing the worst hunger, disease, or natural disasters in a lifetime. A nation of not only strength, but one of mercy. The golden rule serves this nation well. Just ask our farmers, who know that they are helping to feed the world. It’s in our DNA.