Will President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk make USAID "evaporate"?

On February 3, US President Donald Trump appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as Acting Director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

US President Donald Trump appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as Acting Director of USAID to gain control and better understand the agency's operations. (Source: Getty)

The US State Department stressed that USAID has long deviated from its original mission of promoting Washington's interests abroad and a significant portion of USAID's funding is now inconsistent with core US national interests.

President Trump has appointed Secretary of State Rubio as Acting Administrator of USAID to gain more control and understanding of the agency's operations.

In a related development, USAID's headquarters in Washington DC was reportedly closed on February 3 and employees were asked to stay home as the Trump administration moved to potentially shut down the world's largest foreign aid provider.

USAID staff received an email on the night of February 2 asking them not to come to work the next morning.

The incident comes less than 24 hours after two senior security officials at USAID were suspended for trying to prevent representatives of the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing restricted areas of the building.

That same morning, billionaire Elon Musk announced on the X platform that the US President had agreed to his proposal to close USAID - the agency that manages nearly $43 billion in food, humanitarian and other aid for about 130 countries.

In fiscal year 2023, the US disbursed $72 billion in aid worldwide, from women's health care in conflict zones to access to clean water, HIV/AIDS treatment, energy security and anti-corruption work.

In 2024, USAID provided 42% of all humanitarian aid tracked by the United Nations.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/to-ng-thong-trump-va-ty-phu-elon-musk-se-khien-usaid-boc-hoi-303091.html