Did Trump Send millions to Taliban

1. The viral $45 million claim and what fact‑checkers found

Multiple fact‑checking outlets debunked posts alleging the U.S. flew freshly printed $45 million in cash to the Taliban on December 8, 2025: Lead Stories and Yahoo’s fact check report the photograph used to illustrate the claim was from 2023, tied to UN cash shipments, and that the specific December 8 shipment narrative is inaccurate ^{[1] [2]}. Those checks also note an inspector‑general report concluded some donor money routed for relief groups has been diverted and some funds have ended up in Taliban‑controlled accounts, but that is not the same as proving the specific, dramatic December 2025 cash flight depicted online ^{[1] [2]}.

2. What officials and critics are actually saying

Republican politicians and right‑leaning commentators publicly criticized the Trump administration after reporting about tens of millions being deposited in Kabul under Taliban control, framing it as U.S. aid reaching the de facto authorities ^{[3] [5]}. Representative Tim Burchett and other critics warned that U.S. taxpayer dollars were indirectly funding the Taliban; they cited State Department disclosures and inspector‑general concerns about diversion of funds to unintended recipients ^{[3] [6]}.

3. The broader reality of donor cash flows to Afghanistan

Independent reporting and UN figures show that since the Taliban’s return in 2021, nearly $2 billion in donor cash shipments and related donor funding movements have occurred in Afghanistan, and some portion of humanitarian deliveries has been taxed, supervised, or otherwise skimmed by the Taliban during distribution — a pattern documented by aid agencies and analysts ^{[1] [4]}. Lead Stories and Yahoo note that previous cash shipments and deposits into banks controlled by Da Afghanistan Bank (under Taliban control) have occurred, which complicates efforts to ensure aid reaches intended recipients ^{[1] [2]}.

4. Distinguishing direct U.S. payments from indirect outcomes

Available sources emphasize a distinction: “sending money to the Taliban” as a deliberate, direct U.S. payment is different from U.S. humanitarian or donor contributions that—through local delivery systems, commercial banks or taxation—may be diverted or captured by Taliban authorities. Fact checks flagged that viral posts collapsed that difference into a simple, sensational claim that the U.S. directly flew freshly printed cash to the Taliban on a specific date — a claim not supported by the evidence cited by fact‑checkers ^{[1] [2]}.

5. Historical context: the Trump-era Doha deal and subsequent debates

The 2020 U.S.–Taliban agreement and actions during the Trump administration — including prisoner releases and negotiations that led to withdrawal timetables — remain central to critics who argue U.S. policy enabled Taliban resurgence ^[7]. Opponents of current and past administrations cite those decisions when accusing U.S. policy of empowering the Taliban; supporters argue those were steps toward ending America's longest war. Reporting shows both that the Doha deal preceded the Taliban’s takeover and that debate over responsibility for later humanitarian and financial outcomes continues ^[7].

6. What is and isn’t in the available reporting

Available sources confirm: fact‑checkers debunk the December 8, 2025 freshly‑printed $45 million photo/claim and note earlier instances where donor funds reached Taliban‑controlled channels ^{[1] [2]}. Sources also record political criticism of recent administrations for perceived funding flows ^{[3] [5] [6]}. Sources do not provide evidence that the U.S. deliberately flew $45 million in newly printed cash to the Taliban on December 8, 2025—nor do they provide a definitive audited accounting of every dollar of donor-funded cash in Afghanistan ^{[1] [2]}.

7. Bottom line for readers

The dramatic assertion that “Trump sent millions to the Taliban” as a discrete, freshly‑printed $45 million cash flight on December 8, 2025 is false according to multiple fact checks ^{[1] [2]}. A separate, legitimate policy argument remains: U.S. and other donor funds intended for Afghan civilians have sometimes been diverted or taxed under Taliban control, which fuels political outrage and policy debate ^{[1] [4]}. Readers should treat social posts that pair old footage or images with new, specific dates as suspect and consult inspector‑general reports and reputable fact checks before accepting such claims ^{[1] [2]}.