Donald Trump’s State Department is in disarray after letting an unaccountable billionaire gut USAID, fire hundreds—and possibly thousands—of employees, and freeze funds for critical foreign aid across the globe. The decision from the Trump administration to end foreign and humanitarian aid from USAID jeopardizes the United States’ national security interests and threatens stable and secure diplomatic relations globally.
The fate of USAID remains unclear as Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department would absorb the agency and that January 6 insurrectionist Pete Marocco would take over USAID, while Musk claims that Trump agreed to its total elimination.
New reporting this week highlights the turmoil currently happening at the State Department.
According to reporting from CNN, as a U.S. senator, Rubio spent over a decade defending the merits of foreign aid before folding to the authoritarian tendencies of Donald Trump:
- Rubio’s recent capitulation contradicts years of support and praise directed toward USAID.
- In 2013, Rubio said explicitly that the United States did not “have to give foreign aid. We do so because it furthers our national interest.”
- During Trump’s first term, Rubio claimed that “foreign aid is not charity” and gave a passionate speech on the Senate floor in 2017 in defense of foreign aid to protect the country’s national interests.
- Two years later, Rubio commented “Anybody who tells you that we can slash foreign aid and that will bring us to balance is lying to you. Foreign aid is less than one percent of our budget. It’s just not true.”
- As a senator, Rubio also introduced legislation in 2013 and 2015 to improve the transparency of foreign assistance programs. Rubio’s legislation was eventually passed in 2016.
In addition to Rubio’s hypocrisy, CNN is also reporting on the State Department facing criticism for appointing Darren Beattie as Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Beattie was fired as Donald Trump’s speechwriter during Trump’s first term in office for speaking at a conference attended by White nationalists:
- Beattie is infamous for spreading false conspiracies, supporting the January 6th insurrection, attacking U.S. allies, and attacking the State Department.
- Beattie openly makes misogynistic, racist, and bigoted comments including a tweet that launched a sexualized attack against Taylor Swift and another that claimed “competent white men need to be in charge if you want things to work.”
Read more about Marco Rubio’s hypocrisy here.
Read more about Darren Beattie’s bigotry and hate here.
Published: Feb 5, 2025