Rubio Shuts Down USAID, Shifts U.S. Foreign Aid to State Department

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Updated Jul 1, 2025, 11:59 PM

The U.S. Agency for International Development formally ceased operations on 1 July after six decades, following an order by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that transfers all remaining foreign-assistance functions to the State Department. Rubio said the change ends “an era of government-sanctioned inefficiency” and aligns aid with President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda, under which programs must demonstrably advance U.S. interests.

The move completes a dismantling drive that canceled roughly 5,200 of USAID’s 6,200 projects and eliminated most of the agency’s workforce. Rubio cited an internal review that found the agency had spent about $715 billion, yet often failed to meet development goals and fostered what he called a “globe-spanning NGO industrial complex.” Going forward, assistance will be “targeted and limited,” with priority placed on trade and private-sector investment, the secretary wrote.

Human-rights groups and several former U.S. presidents condemned the closure, warning that abrupt cuts jeopardize life-saving programs. A study highlighted by Reuters projected that deep reductions could contribute to as many as 14 million additional deaths worldwide by 2030. Rubio rejected that assessment, saying critical humanitarian initiatives can be managed more efficiently from within the State Department.

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#Marco Rubio #State Department #Rubio #Donald Trump #America First #USAID #Reuters

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Rob Bluey

@RobertBluey

‘AMERICA FIRST FOREIGN ASSISTANCE’: RUBIO RINGS THE DEATH KNELL OF USAID Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to the State Department Substack on Tuesday to ring the death knell of the U.S. Agency for International Development. “This era of government-sanctioned inefficiency has