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The U.S. Agency for International Development’s destiny is hanging successful the equilibrium arsenic the second Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, oregon DOGE, is moving connected an evident overhaul of the agency.
A reappraisal of USAID’s caller past shows that it repeatedly has been accused of fiscal mismanagement and corruption agelong earlier Donald Trump's 2nd administration, Fox News Digital found.
Tech billionaire and DOGE Chair Elon Musk has been connected a warpath against USAID — which is an autarkic U.S. bureau that was established nether the Kennedy medication to administer economical assistance to overseas nations — arsenic helium leads DOGE’s ngo of cutting authorities abdominous and overspending astatine the national level.
Musk announced successful an audio-only connection connected X overnight connected Sunday that "we’re successful the process" of "shutting down USAID" and that Trump reportedly agreed to shutter the agency.
USAID CLOSES HQ TO STAFFERS MONDAY AS MUSK SAYS TRUMP SUPPORTS SHUTTING AGENCY DOWN
Elon Musk, left, announced successful an audio-only connection connected X overnight connected Feb. 2, 2025, that "we’re successful the process" of "shutting down USAID" and that President Donald Trump, right, reportedly agreed to shutter the agency. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
"With respect to the USAID stuff, I went implicit [it] with him successful detail, and helium agreed that we should unopen it down," helium said. "I really checked with him a fewer times [and] said, ‘Are you sure?’"
He added that Trump responded, "Yes."
As of Monday morning, hundreds of USAID employees reported they were locked retired of the agency’s machine strategy and that its office successful Washington, D.C., was closed connected Monday.
On X, Musk has railed against the enactment arsenic rife with "marxists" and is operating arsenic a "criminal organization."
"USAID is simply a transgression organization. Time for it to die," Musk posted to X connected Sunday.
"USAID was a viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hatred America," helium said successful different message.
GOP HARDLINERS RALLY AROUND TRUMP, MUSK SCALING BACK USAID
Trump repeatedly projected slashing the nation’s overseas assistance fund for USAID and the State Department during his archetypal administration, including proposing successful his archetypal twelvemonth successful bureau to slash the budgets by 37%, which Congress rejected.
"With $20 trillion successful debt, the authorities indispensable larn to tighten its belt," Trump said backmost successful 2017 portion advocating for the cuts.
President Donald Trump repeatedly projected slashing the nation’s overseas assistance fund for USAID and the State Department during his archetypal administration. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
His rebuke of overseas assistance stretches backmost adjacent further to his 2016 statesmanlike run, outlining successful his famed candidacy code adjacent to the aureate elevator astatine Trump Tower that the federation indispensable "stop sending overseas assistance to countries that hatred us."
"It is indispensable that we put successful our infrastructure, halt sending overseas assistance to countries that hatred america and usage that wealth to rebuild our tunnels, roads, bridges and schools — and cipher tin bash that amended than me," helium said successful his 2015 code announcing his candidacy for president.
Fox News Digital looked backmost astatine the controversies USAID has faced successful caller years, uncovering a bevy of allegations, including that the bureau reportedly helped money violent organizations and Chinese groups, and that its watchdog allegedly omitted antagonistic findings from publically published reports.
Fox News Digital reached retired to the White House for remark regarding the pursuing USAID allegations successful airy of DOGE’s targeting of the agency, but did not instantly person a reply.
Sen. Tom Cotton warns payer wealth diverted to Hamas
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., sent a blistering missive to Biden-era USAID head Samantha Power successful October 2024, sounding the alarm connected the "likely misuse of much than 1 cardinal dollars successful U.S. humanitarian assistance sent to Gaza since October 2023," Fox Digital reported astatine the time.
"As I predicted would hap from the outset, credible reporting indicates that Hamas terrorists person diverted this aid; indisputable grounds demonstrates that the assistance was ever astatine precocious hazard of diversion," helium continued, pointing to U.S. assistance that was delivered to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees successful the Near East (UNRWA), which he said has evident ties to Hamas.
President Donald Trump ended backing to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency successful 2018. (Ahmed Zakot/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Trump ended backing to UNRWA successful 2018, erstwhile his archetypal medication described the UN bureau arsenic an "irredeemably flawed operation."
Cotton pinned blasted connected the Biden-Harris medication for the "likely misuse," seething that "in each likelihood," the "administration has prolonged the Gaza war, allowed assistance to travel to Israel’s enemies, and misused payer funds."
"Your bureau announced astir $336 cardinal successful further humanitarian backing for Gaza, Judea, and Samaria. On the aforesaid day, the United Nations acknowledged that Fateh al-Sharif, a Hamas person successful Lebanon killed successful an Israeli airstrike, was employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. UNRWA, a large USAID spouse earlier October 7, remains a main conduit for UN humanitarian assistance successful Gaza contempt extended grounds of its ties to Hamas," helium continued.
USAID pushed backmost connected the claims successful remark to Fox Digital astatine the time, saying it does not money UNRWA. President Joe Biden halted U.S. backing to UNWRA successful March of 2024 for 1 year.
"USAID does not supply immoderate backing to UNRWA, nor did we bash truthful anterior to October 7, 2023," the spokesperson said successful October 2024. "In summation to extended hazard mitigation procedures, USAID works intimately with the Government of Israel to assistance with the coordination of and sermon imaginable risks to each humanitarian assistance entering Gaza. USAID has not received grounds from the Government of Israel, our partners, oregon different sources to enactment the claims successful Senator Cotton’s letter."
FLASHBACK: BIDEN ADMIN REPEATEDLY USED USAID TO PUSH ABORTION IN AFRICA
USAID is an autarkic U.S. bureau that was established nether the Kennedy medication to administer economical assistance to overseas nations. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Cotton’s bureau responded to the statement: "Administrator Power and USAID bash not person an capable vetting process to guarantee that American payer dollars bash not extremity up with terrorists. If a violent beforehand enactment similar UNRWA is the lone 'distribution system' successful Gaza, Power should reconsider sending assistance determination successful the archetypal place. Our taxation dollars should not money a radical that has assisted successful the kidnapping and execution of Americans."
Syrian nationalist charged with diverting millions successful backing to violent organization
A Syrian nationalist named Mahmoud Al Hafyan, 53, was charged successful November 2024 for allegedly diverting much than $9 cardinal successful U.S.-funded humanitarian assistance to violent groups, including the Al-Nusrah Front. The Al-Nusrah Front, besides known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, is simply a designated violent enactment with ties to al-Qaeda, according to the State Department.
Syrian absorption fighters region a authorities Syrian emblem from an authoritative gathering successful Salamiyah, eastbound of Hama, Syria Syria, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (Ghaith Alsayed/The Associated Press)
USAID’s bureau of the inspector wide outlined successful its property merchandise connected Al Hafyan’s 12-count indictment that the U.S. had awarded $122 cardinal to the Syrian national’s NGO betwixt 2015 and 2019. The funds were intended for nutrient kits to bolster citizens amid Syria’s bloody civilian war. He is accused, however, of directing the nutrient kits to the Al-Nusrah Front, arsenic good arsenic selling them connected the achromatic market, according to the property release.
"This suspect not lone defrauded the U.S. government, but helium besides gave the humanitarian assistance helium stole to a overseas violent organization," said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves said astatine the time. "While this overseas violent enactment fought with the cruel al-Assad regime, the radical who were expected to person the assistance suffered. This bureau has a past of pursuing criminals astir the globe, nary substance however galore years it takes, and volition bash each it tin to guarantee that Mahmoud Al Hafyan is held accountable for these crimes."
Former USAID administrator repeatedly meets with Soros foundation
Samantha Power — the Biden administration’s USAID head and erstwhile U.S. ambassador to the UN nether erstwhile President Barack Obama’s tenure — was discovered to person repeatedly met with left-wing groups specified arsenic George Soros' Open Society Foundations portion serving arsenic the overseas assistance agency’s administrator, Fox Digital reported successful 2023.
Power met with George Soros' Open Society Foundations astatine slightest 2 times and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation astatine slightest 5 times, Fox Digital reported. She besides held meetings with different almighty groups, specified arsenic the Ford and Rockefeller foundations, according to 700 pages of interior calendar entries that stretched backmost to 2021 and were obtained by Fox News Digital successful 2023.
Samantha Power was discovered to person repeatedly met with left-wing groups specified arsenic George Soros' Open Society Foundations portion serving arsenic the overseas assistance agency’s administrator. (Jose Cabezas/Reuters)
USAID brushed disconnected Power’s drawstring of meetings with almighty left-wing groups arsenic portion of her authoritative relation and USAID’s ngo to combat a spate of planetary issues ranging from poorness to education.
"Administrator Power meets with a wide assortment of officials and sectors to sermon USAID's ngo to trim utmost poverty, combat kid malnutrition, spur economical growth, grow acquisition opportunities astir the world, and physique resilient planetary wellness systems," a USAID spokesperson told Fox News Digital successful 2023. "Working with philanthropies and the backstage assemblage to catalyze resources to tackle these analyzable planetary challenges is important to improving the prime of beingness for radical astir the world."
Taxpayer funds directed to Chinese entities known for coronavirus research
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a study successful 2023 uncovering that some USAID and the National Institutes of Health directed payer funds to American universities and a nonprofit enactment earlier the wealth recovered its mode to Chinese groups, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
The study recovered that betwixt 2014 and 2021, U.S. payer funds were redirected to entities including the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Wuhan University and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, which is portion of the Chinese Communist Party. The 3 groups each received much than $2 cardinal combined from the U.S. authorities "through 7 subawards," according to the GAO report.
Security unit basal defender extracurricular the Wuhan Institute of Virology successful Wuhan arsenic members of the World Health Organization squad investigating the origins of the COVID-19 coronavirus made a sojourn to the institute successful Wuhan successful China's cardinal Hubei state connected Feb. 3, 2021. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)
"The selected entities are authorities institutions oregon laboratories successful China that behaviour enactment connected infectious diseases, including pandemic viruses, and person had actions taken by national agencies to code information oregon information concerns," the study states. "All 3 selected Chinese entities received funds."
In January, the CIA nether the 2nd Trump medication released an updated appraisal connected the origins of COVID-19, favoring the mentation that the contagious illness was owed to a laboratory leak. The CIA antecedently had maintained that it did not person capable grounds to reason whether COVID originated successful a laboratory oregon a "wet market" successful Wuhan, China.
USAID accused of removing antagonistic findings from inspector wide reports
Eight auditors and employees for the USAID inspector general’s bureau sounded the alarm to the Washington Post successful 2014 that antagonistic findings surrounding the agency’s enactment were removed from last reports and audits.
In the aftermath of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, for example, USAID established NGO-led, pro-democracy programs successful the nation, though the NGO workers were not registered to enactment successful the country, the Washington Post reported successful 2014. Egypt arrested 43 NGO workers, including 16 Americans, for operating illegally successful the country, with USAID softly paying Egypt $4.6 cardinal to bail retired the Americans, according to the report.
When auditors questioned the bail outgo to the Egyptian authorities successful a draught IG report, the findings were not included successful the last study that was made publically disposable conscionable months later. Instead, the 21-page draught study was whittled down to a nine-page report. The auditors and employees who spoke to the outlet reported that antagonistic comments were removed from assorted audits betwixt 2011 and 2013.
USAID WORKERS PUT ON LEAVE AS TRUMP OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE RESISTANCE TO AID PAUSE
"The bureau is simply a watchdog not doing its job," a retired audit supervisor astatine the inspector general’s bureau told the outlet. "It’s conscionable easier for precocious absorption to spell on to get along. The connection is: ‘Don’t marque waves, don’t study immoderate problems.’"
USAID "is not functioning. It has to beryllium aligned with U.S. policy," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters connected Monday that helium is present the acting manager of USAID.
"USAID is not functioning. It has to beryllium aligned with U.S. policy. It needs to beryllium aligned with the nationalist involvement of the U.S.," helium told reporters portion successful El Salvador. "They're not a planetary charity. These are payer dollars. People are asking elemental questions. What are they doing with the money? We are spending taxpayers money. We beryllium the taxpayers assurances that it furthers our nationalist interest."
SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO CONFIRMS BECOMING ACTING USAID CHIEF
"I americium the acting director," helium confirmed erstwhile asked if helium is present successful charge. "Our extremity was to let our overseas assistance with the nationalist interest. It has been 20 oregon 30 years. They person tried to betterment it. That volition not continue."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters connected Monday that helium is present the acting manager of USAID. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Rubio became the Trump administration’s archetypal confirmed furniture subordinate connected Jan. 20. Days aft his confirmation, the State Department announced a intermission connected each U.S. overseas assistance funded by oregon done the State Department and USAID retired of an effort to guarantee existent American policies bespeak Trump's administration's priorities.
"Consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order connected Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, Secretary [Marco] Rubio has paused each U.S. overseas assistance funded by oregon done the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for review," the connection read. "He is initiating a reappraisal of each overseas assistance programs to guarantee they are businesslike and accordant with U.S. overseas argumentation nether the America First agenda. President Trump stated intelligibly that the United States is nary longer going to blindly dole retired wealth with nary instrumentality for the American people."
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Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman, Benjamin Weinthal and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
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