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Trump seeks to dismantle USAID infographic
Graphic shows how USAID budget was allocated and how the agency will be dismantled.
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POLITICS

Trump to dismantle USAID

By Phil Bainbridge

February 7, 2025 - The Trump Administration’s plans to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development or roll it into the State Dept have been lauded in Beijing and Moscow as it could diminish U.S. influence globally.

Donald Trump has been critical of any overseas spending, saying USAID has been wasting billions and needs to align with his policy priorities. Head of the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, has been promoting disinformation in a bid to discredit the agency, including a Russian hoax that Hollywood actors were paid by USAID to visit Ukraine, and that $50 billion of condoms were to be supplied to Gaza, six times the amount for the entire world in 2023 (in fact no condoms at all were destined for the Middle East).

USAID was established under John F. Kennedy’s Administration by Congressional Statute, meaning attempts by Trump to dismantle it may be illegal, although with both the Senate and House of Representatives controlled by Republicans, he may be able to get Congress to follow through. All direct-hire personnel have been placed on administrative leave “with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs”, and the plan is to retain only 297 staff out of around 10,000 globally.

Apart from spending on Ukraine, the majority of USAID is given to sub-Saharan Africa in the form of humanitarian assistance, food aid and health programmes. Millions of people around the world are dependent on this assistance.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 07/02/2025; STORY: Graphic News
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