US President Donald Trump appoints Secretary of State Marco Rubio as Acting Administrator of USAID
Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump confirmed the State Department’s de facto takeover of the humanitarian organization by appointing Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the interim administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The announcement was made only hours after Elon Musk, the American tech tycoon who is tasked with reorganizing the federal government, said that President Donald Trump had approved the agency’s closure. Democrats argue that the president cannot legally close a government agency without first informing Congress.
In a post on X, the US State Department said that a review of USAID’s international assistance operations is in progress, with a potential restructuring.
This action is intended to guarantee that USAID’s operations are in line with the “America First” policy and the fundamental national interests of the United States.
The Department of State claims that a large percentage of USAID’s financing is not in line with US national interests, deviating from the organization’s basic goal of promoting American interests overseas. President Donald Trump named Secretary Marco Rubio as USAID’s Acting Administrator in order to solve the issue.
“The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long strayed from its original mission of responsibly advancing American interests abroad, and it is now abundantly clear that significant portions of USAID funding are not aligned with the core national interests of the United States,” the State Department stated on X.
“President Donald Trump named Secretary Marco Rubio Acting Administrator as a stopgap measure to better understand and supervise the agency’s operations. Additionally, it said that Secretary Rubio has informed Congress that a study of USAID’s foreign assistance operations is now in progress with a view to possible restructuring.
In addition, the article said, “As we evaluate USAID and ensure it is in alignment with an America First agenda and the efforts of the State Department, we will continue to protect the American people’s interests and ensure their tax dollars are not wasted.”
Musk said, “USAID is a criminal organization,” in a post on X. It’s time for it to end.
He said this in reaction to a report that said senior USAID personnel were placed on leave for physically attempting to prevent DOGE officials from using agency systems. According to CNN, Musk’s remarks coincide with growing rumors that US President Donald Trump intends to dissolve USAID, an independent government organization, and merge it with the US State Department. Stephen Miller, the White House’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, has said that the majority of USAID’s employees are Democrats.
According to CNN, which cited several people familiar with the situation, two senior USAID officials were placed on administrative leave on Saturday night for attempting to deny DOGA authorities access to the agency’s systems despite DOGE officials’ threats to contact law police.
DOGE staff reportedly attempted to physically enter USAID offices in Washington, DC, according to sources. They were prevented from using the technology, however. According to two of the individuals, CNN stated that DOGE personnel threatened to summon US Marshals to get entry after demanding to be let in.
