The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters is seen on Monday in Washington. (Getty Images)
USAID has come under scrutiny by the Trump administration over what it is spending.
"For decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with next-to-no oversight," the White House said Monday.
USAID allocated millions of dollars for programs the Trump administration considers controversial and that frequently involved diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives launched during the Biden administration, critics say.
During an interview with Fox News that aired Tuesday, Rubio said USAID has "basically evolved into an agency that believes that they're not even a U.S. government agency."
USAID CLOSES HQ TO STAFFERS MONDAY AS MUSK SAYS TRUMP SUPPORTS SHUTTING AGENCY DOWN
Employees and supporters gather to protest outside of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters on Feb. 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
She noted $9 million in humanitarian aid to feed civilians in Syria that allegedly ended up in the hands of terrorists, as well as another $2 million spent on Moroccan pottery classes and promotion.
Other projects included trade assistance to Ukraine to pay for models to attend Fashion Weeks events in New York City, London and Paris and millions spent to help Afghans grow crops instead of opium.
"The results: opium poppy cultivation across the country nearly doubled, according to the UN," she wrote.
In this photo the United States Agency for International Development logo is seen in Virginia, on February 21, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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"USAID asked, ‘Can you tell me how to get how to get to Sesame Street?’ and ended up in Iraq," she wrote in another post. "USAID authorized a whopping $20 million to create a Sesame Street in Iraq."
Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/usaid-missions-overseas-ordered-shut-staff-recalled-report