U.S. President Donald Trump has once again claimed that the United States funded the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), saying Ethiopia built the massive hydropower project “with American money.” His comments have sparked widespread backlash and disbelief in Ethiopia.
Ethiopians strongly reject this claim. Government officials and citizens alike have emphasized that the GERD was constructed through the sacrifices of the Ethiopian people, not foreign aid. Millions of Ethiopians contributed financially—many giving up portions of their salaries, buying bonds, or donating to the project.
“The Ethiopian people invested their every penny,” said Fikrte Tamir, deputy director at the GERD Coordination Office. “The dam was built by Ethiopians, for Ethiopians.”
There is no evidence to support Trump’s claim. In fact, the U.S. under his administration cut aid to Ethiopia in 2020 as a pressure tactic during Nile water negotiations with Egypt and Sudan. No U.S. funding was ever directed to GERD’s construction.
For Ethiopians, the dam represents sovereignty, unity, and self-reliance—a national project achieved without foreign financing. Trump’s repeated remarks are seen by many as misleading and dismissive of the people’s sacrifices.
“Millions of Ethiopians contributed financially” to fill TPLF’s coffers. Yes. It is a painful truth. TPLF had invested heavily in overseas funds that was lost during the stock market crash. The clever thieves then used the GERD to yet do another round of looting.
GERD was constructed with steel, cement and funding provided by the US. The ploy was to arm-twist the Muslim-brotherhood Egyptian government that came to power by overthrowing Sadat, their beloved puppet. When their other strategy of liquidating Mohammed Mursi succeeded, they put a new puppet, Al Sisi, in power and left Meles Zenawi to his own devices.
That is the ugly truth.
The funds collected from the poor and rich Ethiopians was to be a send away gift to the TPLF.