The decision, made after a six-week review, affects 5,200 contracts that, according to [Senator Marco] Rubio, cost tens of billions of dollars and negatively—or even harmfully—impacted the “core national interests of the United States.”
Rubio emphasized that the remaining 18% of programs (approximately 1,000) will be transferred under the jurisdiction of the State Department to ensure more efficient administration and compliance with the “America First” policy of the Trump administration.
In a post on X, he also expressed gratitude to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the team working on this “long-overdue and historic reform,” mentioning Elon Musk’s involvement in the process.
How Was USAID Money Spent?
As early as February, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt listed a “long list of absurdities” on which USAID funds had been spent. These included:
- $2 million for gender reassignment procedures in Guatemala,
- $6 million to finance tourism in Egypt,
- $20 million for a new season of Sesame Street in Iraq,
- $4.5 million to combat disinformation in Kazakhstan,
- $43 million for a gas station in Afghanistan that no one uses,
- $1.5 million to promote LGBT rights in Jamaica,
- $4 million for transgender individuals in Serbia,
- $25 million solely for the promotion of “green transportation” in Georgia,
- $26 million allocated to George Soros’ foundation, which allegedly interferes in political affairs worldwide.
U.S. media also circulated findings from Gazeta Polska regarding USAID’s financing of “foreign interference” in Polish politics. This was discussed on social media by Mario Nawfal, whose post was then amplified by Elon Musk.
“A Gazeta Polska investigation reveals millions in U.S. taxpayer dollars under Biden were funneled into Polish groups working to undermine PiS and push left-wing policies. USAID grants allegedly funded activist groups, progressive media, and efforts to silence conservative outlets like TV Republika by pressuring advertisers,”
wrote Nawfal in late February.
This reform aligns with broader efforts by the Trump administration to reduce federal spending and reorganize government agencies, a move that has sparked controversy on the international stage.