Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday he is now the acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, a significant shift as the humanitarian agency comes under State Department control.
In a letter to Congress, Rubio confirmed that he had ceded USAID’s authority to Pete Marocco, a Trump appointee who has been previously accused by aid groups of seeking to dismantle the organization. The latter, responsible for overseeing foreign assistance at the State Department as well, has been a pivotal figure in the freezing of foreign aid. The critics argue his leadership could only further the disintegration of the global humanitarian mission of USAID.
This announcement follows comments from Elon Musk, who has been leading federal government reforms under President Donald Trump. Musk claimed that Trump had approved shutting down USAID entirely, a move that Democrats insist is illegal without congressional approval.
Rubio wrote that Marocco had been given the task of “reviewing and reorganizing USAID in a manner designed to maximize efficiency and align operations with the national interest.” Additionally, some offices, bureaus, and missions of USAID would be “absorbed into the State Department, as part of the largest reorganization of U.S. foreign aid in a quarter century.”.
During a press conference in El Salvador, Rubio defended the move, arguing that USAID must align more closely with U.S. foreign policy. He stated that while some programs would continue, others would face scrutiny. “There are things that USAID does that are good, and there are things that we have strong questions about,” he said.
This development has attracted sharp criticism from Democrats, who believe that the role of USAID is indispensable for global stability and U.S. national security. They view this takeover as an attempt by Trump and Musk to dismantle an independent agency that has historically provided humanitarian aid worldwide.
Trump, when confronted with the issue of legality, waved off those concerns, claiming that he can act without Congress if fraud is involved. Talking from the Oval Office, Trump attacked USAID’s operations under the Biden administration, saying that they had been reckless with the funding.
Whereas Trump used to be in favor of foreign aid, he now claims that USAID has been mismanaged. “The concept is good, but it’s all about the people,” he said.
With the future of USAID uncertain, the Biden-era programs face potential cuts, and global aid initiatives may undergo dramatic shifts in the coming months.
