Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), citing decades of waste and inflated lifestyles for NGO executives. The Trump administration has now folded USAID into the State Department, ending 83% of its programs following a six-week audit by the Department of Government Efficiency.
Rubio revealed that over $165 billion sent to sub-Saharan Africa and $89 billion to the Middle East resulted in little strategic return for the U.S., with many recipient countries opposing American interests at the UN. He singled out the $9.3 billion sent to Gaza and the West Bank, stating much of it enriched elites instead of helping the poor.
Rubio stated future foreign aid must meet clear metrics, including trade and co-investment, and carry visible American branding. Elon Musk, involved in the audit, called the cuts “tough, but necessary.”
Critics warn that the shutdown could result in millions of preventable deaths, and a federal judge has temporarily blocked the termination of some congressionally funded programs. Legal and political battles over the move are expected to continue.
