CV NEWS FEED // Secretary of State Marco Rubio is now the acting director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which is the U.S. government agency responsible for distributing foreign aid.
The news comes after security concerns prompted President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the head of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to close down USAID’s headquarters Feb. 3, according to CBS. USAID’s Trump-appointed chief of staff Matt Hopson had tried to block DOGE from accessing its systems over the weekend. Hopson resigned Feb. 2.
“I’m very troubled by these reports that they [USAID] have been unwilling to cooperate with people who are asking simple questions about what does this program do, who gets the money, who are our contractors, who’s funded,” Rubio said to reporters in El Salvador, according to Fox News. “And that sort of insubordination makes it impossible to conduct the sort of mature and serious review that I think foreign aid at large should have.”
When asked if he is currently in charge of USAID, Rubio responded, “I’m the acting director of USAID. I’ve delegated that authority to someone, but I stay in touch with him.”
Rubio noted that in many countries, USAID supports programs that are contrary to national interests.
“That cannot continue,” he said. “USAID is not an independent, non-governmental entity.”
He added that as a taxpayer-funded organization, USAID must spend its money according to policies set by the secretary of state, National Security Council, and the U.S. president.
According to CBS News, U.S. officials said USAID will merge with the State Department, and officials within Trump’s administration will announce the change within the coming days.