Secretary of State Marco Rubio halted all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to allow the Trump administration to review whether the funds are putting “America First.”
On Sunday, the State Department issued a statement about falling in step with President Donald Trump's executive order to reevaluate and replenish foreign aid from the United States.
“Consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Assistance, Secretary Rubio (MARCO) has paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for review,” the statement read. “It initiates a review of all foreign assistance programs to ensure they are effective and consistent with U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda. President Trump has clearly stated that the United States will no longer blindly run out of money without return to the American people.”
The statement continued, saying that reviewing and aligning foreign aid on behalf of taxpayers is a “moral imperative,” adding that Rubio is proud to protect America’s investment “through a deliberate and prudent review” of how foreign countries’ money is spent abroad.
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The headquarters building of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is shown on September 15, 2014, in Washington, DC.
“The implementation of this Executive Order and the Secretary’s direction advances that mission,” the statement said. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified by answering three simple questions: Does it make America safer?” Does it make America stronger? Makes America more prosperous? “
The announcement comes after the Trump administration ordered USAID staff to stop Foreign aid around the world Or face “disciplinary action” for non-compliance.
The Trump administration sent a sharp memo to more than 10,000 employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development on Saturday, introducing a “stop work” directive from Friday that places a freeze on U.S. foreign aid around the world, Reuters reported.
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President Donald Trump wants Foriegn Aid to put “America First.” (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The wire service reviewed the memo and said it set expectations for the workforce on how to achieve them Trump's goals of putting “America first.”
“We have a responsibility to support the President in achieving his vision,” Ken Jackson, assistant administrator for administration and resources, wrote in the internal memo titled “Message and Expectation for the Workforce.”
“The President has given us a tremendous 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 several sources.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio halted all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump ordered a 90-day pause in foreign aid just hours after taking office, to review whether the funding was in line with his foreign policy priorities.
On Friday, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs He issued a pause on aid around the world.
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The United States is the largest donor of aid globally. During fiscal year 2023, the United States will disperse $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.
