Rubio Says 83 Percent of USAID Programs Will Be Terminated

The Trump administration has canceled 83 percent of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday.“The 5,200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States,” Mr. Rubio wrote in a post on X. The announcement comes six weeks after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to freeze foreign aid as part of his broader crackdown on the scale of federal government programs. Mr. Trump charged USAID with wasting taxpayer money by funding progressive causes abroad. “In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18 percent of programs we are keeping (approximately 1,000) to now be administered more effectively under the State Department,” Mr. Rubio added. His announcement marks the culmination of the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID, led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Mr. Rubio, who reportedly clashed with Mr. Musk over the tech billionaire’s role in the government and cuts to the State Department during a heated cabinet meeting on Thursday, expressed his appreciation for the DOGE team. “Thank you to DOGE and our hardworking staff who worked very long hours to achieve this overdue and historic reform,” he said.“Tough, but necessary,” Mr. Musk replied. “Good working with you. The important parts of USAID should always have been with Dept of State.”Since the Trump administration set its sights on USAID in January, it has attacked the agency for financing groups aligned with terrorists and projects designed to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion around the world. In February, the White House provided examples of such “waste and abuse.” These include $2 million used to fund sex changes in Guatemala, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to Helping Hand for Relief and Development, a non-profit linked to terrorist organizations.So far, USAID programs canceled by the Trump administration include:A project to advance “gender equity, equality, and empowerment” across USAID’s programs.A program to deliver “quality and inclusive” education in Liberia.A $33 million contract to expand “inclusive access to finance” for businesses and “vulnerable and marginalized populations” in Bangladesh.A $73 million contract to help Ghana decarbonize its power sector in a “just and equitable” fashion.A project to “increase socio-economic cohesion among marginalized communities” through sustainable recycling.Grants to promote “inclusive” politics in Tanzania, the Maldives, the Kyrgyz Republic, Burkina Faso, Gabon, and Benin.A grant to reduce political violence through “intra- and inter-group dialogue” and the arts.Mr. Rubio’s claim that 5,200 contracts have been canceled is at odds with a court filing from February, in which the Trump administration claimed 5,800 of 6,200 USAID contracts would be cut.The Trump administration has not provided a complete list of programs that will be kept or terminated.

Rubio Says 83 Percent of USAID Programs Will Be Terminated

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