by Adam Kredo at The Washington Free Beacon
As the Trump administration works to shrink the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and place it under the State Department’s umbrella, congressional Democrats have argued that the move “endangers lives and undermines U.S. national security.” But away from funding for lifesaving medicines like HIV drugs, funding that is exempt from the State Department’s broader foreign aid freeze, USAID has spent millions in taxpayer cash on left-wing priorities like climate activism—and bankrolled groups linked to Palestinian terrorism.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday that he will serve as USAID’s acting leader while the Trump administration works to reduce the agency’s spending. The agency’s career staffers have battled the administration’s 90-day freeze on foreign funding, seeking exemptions that would funnel tens of millions of dollars to agency bureaus that cover issues like “environmental justice” and “LGBTQI+ Inclusive Development,” the Washington Free Beacon reported.
The Trump administration responded by putting scores of those staffers on administrative leave, a move Rubio said came in response to “insubordination.” USAID “has a history of … deciding that they’re somehow a global charity separate from the national interest,” he told reporters on Monday. “That sort of insubordination makes it impossible to conduct a sort of mature and serious review that I think foreign aid writ large should have.”
Rubio said that the State Department will not gut foreign aid altogether, but rather cut “programs that run counter to what we’re trying to do in our national strategy.” Here’s a rundown of spending under President Joe Biden that may fit that description:
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