U.S. Secretary of State Marc Rubio announced Monday that the Biden administration will cancel 83% of programmes at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
In a statement posted to his X account, Rubio revealed that approximately 5,200 contracts worth “tens of billions of dollars” will be terminated following a six-week review.
“The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States,” Rubio wrote.
According to the announcement, the remaining 18% of programmes—roughly 1,000 contracts—will continue but will be transferred to State Department control.
This massive reduction follows President Donald Trump’s January executive order that froze all U.S. foreign aid to allow his administration to evaluate overseas spending through the lens of his “America First” policy agenda. The State Department had previously indicated on February 26 that it intended to cut even more dramatically—92% of USAID’s program funding—identifying 5,800 grants for elimination.
In his announcement, Rubio specifically thanked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the cost-cutting initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk, for their role in what he called an “overdue and historic reform.”
The Trump administration has consistently argued that foreign assistance is wasteful and fails to advance U.S. interests. However, aid organisations counter that much of this assistance promotes global stability and health, ultimately supporting American strategic objectives.
Critics of the cuts warn that terminating these programmes could endanger vulnerable populations who depend on U.S. assistance. Aid groups have expressed concern that the sudden cancellation of established programmes will create humanitarian gaps that other donors may not be able to fill.
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