This Tuesday, July 1, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will cease to operate as an independent entity and its remaining programs will be transferred to the Department of State.
Rubio criticized USAID for creating a “global NGO-industrial complex” and asserted that its results in the aftermath of the Cold War were insufficient:
“Development goals have rarely been met, instability has worsened, and anti-American sentiment has grown.”
Marco Rubio announced that, starting July 1, only programs that "align with the administration's policies and promote American interests" will continue, now under greater "accountability, strategy, and efficiency."
Massive program cuts
Following a six-week review, Rubio announced that the administration has canceled approximately 83 %s of USAID's 6,200 programs—nearly 5,200 projects—and that the State Department will assume management of the remaining 17 %s.
In addition, the administration reduced USAID's overall workforce from more than 10,000 employees to fewer than 300, placing most on administrative leave or laying them off.
Experts at the Center for Global Development estimate that this reduction could cause an additional million deaths per year due to interruptions in programs against HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis.
Furthermore, former presidents such as Obama and Bush called the closure “a colossal mistake.” and a “transvestism” that threatens the international response and global well-being.
A federal judge ruled that Trump overstepped his authority by freezing funds and cutting programs without congressional approval, though he did not order a reversal of the cancellations.
The surviving programs will be transferred to the State Department by July 1. Meanwhile, legal challenges are being fought in federal courts. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders, NGOs, and international experts are demanding the restoration of funding and the protection of critical humanitarian missions.
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