Trump orders overhaul of USAID amid allegations of corruption and wasteful spending

By bellecarter // 2025-02-10

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President Donald Trump intends to address concerns over corruption and wasteful spending by placing all USAID federal employees on administrative leave and transferring the agency's functions to the State Department.
Former USAID Director Mark Moyar, who served from 2018 to 2019, exposed a culture of resistance and mismanagement, including a focus on liberal initiatives and resistance to the Trump administration's policies.
Moyar detailed a "privilege walk" exercise and instances where USAID rebranded Obama-era projects to align with Trump's priorities, such as reframing a feminist book club as a counter-terrorism effort.
Moyar faced significant resistance from agency staff, including attempts to hide aid to Syria from the White House and retaliation over his book publication, which he claims was a pretext for his termination.
The Trump administration criticized USAID for promoting a liberal agenda and misusing funds. The overhaul aims to address these issues and will involve a thorough review of the agency's DEI-related spending, which Moyar argues is harming U.S. foreign relations.

President Donald J. Trump is set to overhaul the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in a sweeping move that reflects deep concerns over corruption and wasteful spending within the agency. The decision, announced this week, follows revelations by a former USAID director, Mark Moyar, who detailed a culture of resistance and mismanagement during his tenure from 2018 to 2019. The president's order will place nearly all USAID federal employees on administrative leave, with the agency's remaining functions to be transferred to the State Department. (Related: USAID absorbed into State Department as Musk and Trump target 'wasteful spending.') Moyar, who was appointed by the Trump administration in February 2018, detailed a series of troubling issues he encountered at USAID, including resistance to the administration's policies and a focus on liberal initiatives. During an interview on Fox News, Moyar described a "privilege walk" exercise at his orientation, which he found bizarre and indicative of the agency's priorities. "So you took a step forward if it applied, and if it didn't. I ended up near the front, and the Indigenous woman with an unwanted pregnancy and the male prostitute was at the other end, and then we talked about our privileges," Moyar recounted. He also alleged that USAID often rebranded initiatives to align with the Trump administration's priorities, even when the projects had originated under former President Barack Obama's administration. For example, a feminist women's book club was reframed as a counter-terrorism effort. Moyar's tenure was marked by significant resistance from agency staff. He described a meeting where officials discussed hiding aid to Syria from the White House to prevent Trump from canceling it. "They apparently just forgot I was in the room," he added. Despite his efforts to report waste, fraud and abuse, Moyar faced retaliation. His security clearance was suspended in a dispute over the publication of his book, "Oppose Any Foe: The Rise of America's Special Operations Forces," which he claimed was a pretext for his termination.

The broader context and future of USAID

USAID was established in the early 1960s to deliver aid to impoverished and underdeveloped regions globally. However, the Trump administration has long criticized the agency for promoting a liberal agenda and misusing taxpayer dollars. Moyar's allegations highlight a broader pattern of resistance within the agency, with many staffers reportedly aligned with the Obama administration and opposed to the Trump administration's policies. The president's order to place USAID employees on administrative leave and transfer the agency's functions to the State Department is seen as a radical step to address these issues. Moyar believes that uncovering the full extent of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)-related spending will require a thorough review of the agency's records, as much of it has been "disguised or rebranded." He criticized the push for DEI abroad, calling it a "ridiculous ideology" that is harming U.S. relations with other countries. "Most other countries look at this DEI stuff and say, 'This is crazy,'" Moyar said, adding that efforts to promote a "radical LGBTQ agenda" overseas have met with resistance. The overhaul of USAID represents a significant shift in U.S. foreign aid policy under the Trump administration. As the agency faces accusations of corruption and wasteful spending, the president's decision to place it under the State Department's control signals a commitment to addressing these issues. Head over to Trump.news for stories related to the 47th president's effort to eliminate wasteful spending. Watch the video below that talks about how Trump is revamping government operations. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

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The broader context and future of USAID

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