USAID Major Cuts in US Foreign Aid Agency... Is the Next Target the Department of Education? (Comprehensive)

Rubio: "Acting Head of USAID...An Uncooperative Agency"
WSJ: "Trump Aides Consider Dismantling Department of Education"

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a foreign aid organization targeted for closure during Donald Trump's second administration, is expected to be significantly downsized under the State Department. The Department of Education is being considered as the next target after USAID.

According to Bloomberg and other sources on the 3rd (local time), U.S. Secretary of State Mike Rubio, during a tour of Latin America in El Salvador, told reporters that he would serve concurrently as acting head of USAID and plans to entrust the day-to-day operations of USAID to the staff for the time being.

On the 3rd (local time), security personnel are patrolling the USAID lobby, where employee access is prohibited. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Secretary Rubio criticized USAID as a "completely uncooperative agency," stating that it had taken a stance unrelated to national interests for years. He added, "USAID is not an independent non-governmental organization (NGO). It needs to act according to U.S. national interests." However, he said, "This does not mean ending USAID's programs," and that USAID would be directed by the State Department.

In this regard, a White House official said, "To improve efficiency, there is a plan to significantly reduce the number of USAID employees and integrate USAID into the State Department to ensure spending aligns with the president's policy agenda." The official added that President Trump has tasked Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and head of the Government Efficiency Department, with overseeing USAID's efficiency.

According to the Associated Press, most employees at USAID headquarters in Washington D.C. received an email on the day instructing them not to come to the office. A yellow tape with the phrase "Authorized Personnel Only" was installed to control access to the USAID headquarters lobby, and police controlled the lobby. Some Democratic lawmakers attempted to enter but were blocked by the police.

CEO Musk shared a post on the social networking service X (formerly Twitter) the previous day, stating that USAID officials were physically blocking the Government Efficiency Department's system access and were suspended as a result. He wrote, "USAID is a criminal organization. Now is the time for it to die." In a live discussion on X with Republican Senator Joni Ernst (Iowa) and others, he said he is working to shut down USAID and that President Trump agrees.

On the same day, President Trump told reporters that USAID had been "run by some radical lunatics" and said, "We will kick them out."

USAID is an organization that has overseen U.S. international aid by providing humanitarian and development assistance to other countries through funding non-governmental organizations, foreign governments, international organizations, and other U.S. agencies.

The Department of Education is strongly considered the next target after USAID. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the same day, citing sources familiar with the matter, that President Trump's aides are drafting an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education.

They are discussing the specific contents and timing of the executive order, including options to abolish all functions of the Department of Education not specified by law or to transfer certain functions to other departments. The Government Efficiency Department is also reviewing the Department of Education. Currently, more than 60 Department of Education employees have been on paid leave since the 31st of last month.

This move is to fulfill President Trump's campaign promise to eliminate the Department of Education and limit federal involvement in education, giving more authority to the states. The Heritage Foundation's policy proposal "Project 2025," known as the "Trump 2.0 Manifesto," also called for the abolition of the Department of Education. The American conservative camp has strongly criticized the Biden administration's Department of Education measures, such as student loan forgiveness and protections for sexual minorities.

During his first term, President Trump attempted but failed to merge the Department of Education and the Department of Labor. Completely abolishing the Department of Education requires congressional approval, and last week Republican Representative Thomas Massie (Kentucky) introduced a bill to abolish the Department of Education. The WSJ also predicted that the method used to dismantle USAID could be applied to the Department of Education.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.