Jasmine Crockett Claims Cutting Foreign Aid Could Lead To Another 9/11

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) insisted this week that the Trump administration’s efforts to scale back the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) could pave the way for a new 9/11-style terror attack. Her remarks, delivered on the podcast Let’s Be Clear with controversial pastor and political activist Jamal Bryant, are drawing backlash for what critics describe as hyperbolic fearmongering and a fundamental misunderstanding of U.S. foreign aid policy.

Crockett suggested that defunding USAID — an agency long criticized for wasteful and ideologically driven spending — would undercut America’s “soft power” and diplomatic influence, which she claimed has helped prevent terrorism on U.S. soil.

“One of the reasons people haven’t been flying planes into buildings in the United States is because of our soft power,” Crockett said. “It’s because of the diplomacy we were doing… where people would look at us and say ‘The Americans are good people.’”

Her comments come on the heels of Trump freezing foreign aid and the Department of Government Efficiency’s work to dismantle USAID. The agency has drawn criticism for funding projects like a transgender clinic in Vietnam and a Peruvian comic book series promoting gender ideology — programs many Americans argue have no connection to U.S. national security.

Crockett’s argument appears to hinge on the assumption that foreign aid programs have an outsized impact on global perceptions of the United States. But data suggests otherwise, and national security experts have long questioned the effectiveness of foreign aid as a counterterrorism tool. Critics say tying it directly to the prevention of domestic terror attacks is not only unsupported by evidence — it’s irresponsible.

Crockett also accused the administration of stoking “scarcity mindsets,” saying conservatives have used USAID as a scapegoat to distract from broader spending issues — including large defense budgets and a proposed $42,000 ICE bonus she called excessive. That figure refers to a total allocation of $858 million in signing and retention bonuses for ICE under the “Big Beautiful Bill,” signed by Trump on July 4. But the bonuses are meant to be distributed over several years and targeted toward new hires, not across the board.

Crockett’s comments reflect a broader narrative from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which opposes defense spending increases while defending foreign aid and social programs — even those with questionable results or ideological overtones.

Crockett concluded by arguing that Americans are being manipulated into attacking each other over divisive issues like immigration, abortion, or transgender rights — while their own freedoms are quietly stripped away.

But her sweeping commentary and suggestion that aid cuts could trigger mass-casualty terror attacks drew criticism from across the political spectrum, including national security experts who questioned the logic and timing of her remarks.

Most analysts credit America’s improved domestic counterterrorism operations, not foreign charity, with preventing another large-scale attack since 2001. Additionally, the claim that overseas development aid fosters goodwill has long been debated — especially when that aid funds niche, progressive social causes often at odds with the culture of the countries they’re championed in.

The episode highlights a growing divide between traditional concerns about government waste and the Democratic Party’s defense of sprawling bureaucracies, even those far removed from the average American’s priorities. As the Trump administration continues to focus on rooting out what it sees as “ideological overreach” in foreign aid, Crockett’s comments may rally the progressive base — but they’re unlikely to convince the broader public that comic books and gender clinics are the first line of defense against global terrorism.

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