President Donald Trump has appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The appointment comes on the heels of a planned review of the agency’s foreign assistance activities, which could lead to a major restructuring of USAID’s operations and priorities.
According to a statement from the State Department, Rubio will step into the interim role as part of an effort to “gain control and a better understanding of the agency’s activity.” This appointment aligns with the administration’s broader objective of reshaping U.S. foreign policy to better reflect an “America First” agenda. The review will assess USAID’s programs to ensure they serve U.S. national interests, with a focus on eliminating wasteful spending and curbing any activities deemed misaligned with American priorities abroad.
“The United States Agency for International Development has long strayed from its original mission of responsibly advancing American interests abroad,” the statement reads, underscoring the administration’s dissatisfaction with the current state of USAID. The Trump administration has consistently criticized USAID for what it perceives as a failure to align its funding with core national interests. The review process is expected to result in a restructuring of the agency, although the full scope of the changes remains unclear.
This move has raised questions about the future of USAID, the U.S. government’s main foreign aid agency. In recent weeks, President Trump and his advisor, billionaire Elon Musk, have become increasingly vocal in their criticism of the agency. Musk, who has previously called USAID “evil” and a “criminal organisation,” has been pushing for the agency’s closure. Over the weekend, he declared that the Trump administration was considering shutting it down entirely, leading to confusion among USAID employees. Staff were reportedly told to stay home on Monday as the agency’s website went dark, fueling speculation about its future.
President Trump, however, remained less definitive about the fate of USAID, referring to its staff as “radical lunatics” and suggesting that personnel would be removed before any final decision on the agency’s future is made.
With the fate of USAID uncertain, the global humanitarian landscape could see significant changes if the agency is restructured or eliminated. As the review process unfolds, the world watches closely to see how U.S. foreign assistance programs will adapt to the administration’s vision for America’s role on the global stage.
