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USAID’s spending on projects that, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio described, appear unrelated to US interests, has sparked outrage both domestically and internationally
The Trump administration is moving to merge USAID under the US State Department amid Musk and Trump’s calls for it to be shut down. (Reuters)
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is facing heavy criticism for misusing taxpayer money following a crackdown by the Trump administration, with the President calling it as an agency “run by radical lunatics.”
Trump, who has long been a critic of USAID, had signed an executive order halting foreign assistance for 90 days, vowing to eliminate what he called “waste, fraud, and abuse.”
On Friday, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump called for the agency to be shut down, accusing it of spending money fraudulently in ways that were “totally unexplainable.”
“USAID IS DRIVING THE RADICAL LEFT CRAZY, AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE WAY IN WHICH THE MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT, SO MUCH OF IT FRAUDULENTLY, IS TOTALLY UNEXPLAINABLE. THE CORRUPTION IS AT LEVELS RARELY SEEN BEFORE. CLOSE IT DOWN!,” the US president wrote in his post.
USAID, the aid arm of US foreign policy, funds health and emergency programmes in some of the world’s poorest regions. It has also been a long-time partner of many UN agencies and initiatives.
The United States remains the world’s largest donor of foreign aid, and the sudden freeze on aid has caused significant disruption to global humanitarian efforts. Last year, Washington contributed 47 per cent of the UN’s global humanitarian appeal, amounting to around $14 billion, according to UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci.
However, USAID’s spending on projects that, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio described, appear “unrelated to US interests”, has sparked outrage both domestically and internationally, The Times Of India reported.
Here are some of the most controversial and eye-catching expenditures made by USAID:
- $15 Million For Condoms For The Taliban: USAID reportedly allocated $15 million worth of condoms to the Taliban, a group notorious for suppressing women’s rights. Critics, including Representative Mast, mocked the decision, questioning its relevance to global humanitarian aid.
- $446,000 For Promoting Atheism In Nepal: USAID funnelled nearly half a million dollars to promote atheism in Nepal, a move that raised concerns about the agency’s alignment with US national interests.
- $47,000 For A Transgender Opera In Colombia: Tens of thousands of dollars were spent on a transgender-themed opera, prompting questions about the relevance of such funding to US priorities.
- $20,600 For Drag Shows In Ecuador: USAID funded drag performances in Ecuador as part of an LGBTQ cultural initiative, raising eyebrows among critics who questioned the need for such expenditure.
- $350 Million For A Pier In Gaza: This massive amount was allocated to build a pier in Gaza to facilitate humanitarian aid, though critics argue it could benefit terrorist groups like Hamas.
- $55,000 for a climate change seminar exclusively for female & LGBTQ journalists in Argentina: The seminar, funded by USAID, was open only to female and LGBTQ journalists..
Additional questionable projects included a $1 million grant to LGBTQ groups in Africa, $3 million for LGBTQ support in the Caribbean, and even $2 million for sex change surgeries in Guatemala, a country known for its conservative stance.
