Trump Administration Cuts Over 80% of USAID Programs

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has eliminated more than 80% of programs under the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) following a six-week review. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision on Monday in a post on X, stating:

"The 5,200 canceled contracts had spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve—or, in some cases, even harmed—the core national interests of the United States."

Rubio noted that approximately 1,000 remaining programs will now be managed more efficiently under the State Department in collaboration with Congress.

After returning to office on January 20, Trump ordered a 90-day pause on foreign aid to evaluate its alignment with his "America First" foreign policy.

This decision disrupted USAID operations globally, jeopardizing humanitarian efforts, including the delivery of food and medical aid. Despite claims that waivers were granted for life-saving assistance, many humanitarian workers reported that funding remained frozen.

The policy shift led to mass layoffs, with thousands of USAID staff placed on leave or dismissed. Reports indicate that most of those furloughed are unlikely to be reinstated.

Those programs “spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States,” Rubio wrote.

“In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18% of programs we are keeping ... to be administered more effectively under the State Department,” he said. Democratic lawmakers and others call the shutdown of congressionally-funded programs illegal, saying such a move requires Congress’ approval.

The Trump administration has given almost no details on which aid and development efforts abroad it spared as it mass-emailed contract terminations to aid groups and other USAID partners by the thousands within days earlier this month. The rapid pace, and the steps skipped in ending contracts, left USAID supporters challenging whether any actual program-by-program reviews had taken place.

President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 issued an executive order directing a freeze of foreign assistance funding and a review of all of the tens of billions of dollars of U.S. aid and development work abroad. Trump charged that much of foreign assistance was wasteful and advanced a liberal agenda.