Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that U.S. funds funded by or through the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will allow the Trump administration to consider whether the funds are “America First.” All foreign aid was suspended.
On Sunday, the State Department issued a statement saying it was in line with President Donald Trump’s executive order to reevaluate and realign U.S. foreign aid.
“Consistent with President Trump’s executive order on the reassessment and realignment of U.S. foreign assistance, the Secretary.” [Marco] “Mr. Rubio has suspended for review all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID),” the statement said. “We are beginning a review to ensure the program is efficient and consistent with the United States.” American foreign policy based on an America First policy. President Trump has made it clear that the United States will no longer provide blind funding to Americans with no return. ”
The statement goes on to say it is a “moral obligation” to review and adjust foreign aid on behalf of taxpayers, and to conduct a “deliberate and prudent review” of how funds are spent on foreign aid. Rubio added that he takes pride in protecting American investments. abroad.
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The facade of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters building on September 15, 2014 in Washington, DC.
“Implementation of this executive order and the Secretary’s direction furthers that mission,” the statement said. “As Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, ‘Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue depends on answering three simple questions. It has to be justified by the answer: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger?”
The announcement came after the Trump administration ordered USAID officials to stop providing foreign aid worldwide or face “disciplinary action” if they do not comply.
The Trump administration sent a sharply worded memo to more than 10,000 USAID employees on Saturday, presenting them with a “stop operations” directive that would freeze U.S. foreign aid worldwide starting Friday, Reuters reported.
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President Donald Trump wants all foreign aid to have an “America First” slogan. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The news agency reviewed the memo and said it sets out expectations for workers on how to achieve Trump’s “America First” goal.
“We have a responsibility to help the President achieve his vision,” Ken Jackson, assistant secretary for administration and resource management, wrote in an internal memo titled “Message and Expectations for Employees.”
“The President has an incredible opportunity to transform the way we approach foreign aid for decades to come,” the memo added. Reuters reported that it had confirmed the authenticity of the memo with multiple sources.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suspended all U.S. foreign aid funded by or through the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Just hours after taking office, President Trump ordered a 90-day moratorium on foreign aid while he reviewed whether the funding was consistent with his foreign policy priorities.
On Friday, the State Department announced it was suspending aid worldwide.
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The United States is the world’s largest donor of aid. During fiscal year 2023, the United States distributed $72 billion in aid. It also provided 42% of all humanitarian aid tracked by the United Nations in 2024.
Fox News Digital has reached out to USAID for comment.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Greg Wenner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and @GregWehner on Twitter.
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