The United States is making a significant shift in its approach to foreign aid. According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Trump Administration has decided that as of July 1, 2025, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will no longer implement foreign assistance programs. Instead, these programs will be administered by the State Department.
Rubio stated that USAID has not met its objectives despite decades of operation and substantial funding. "Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War," he remarked.
The change aims to align foreign assistance with administration policies that advance American interests more effectively. Rubio emphasized that this new approach would ensure accountability and efficiency in delivering aid.
"We will not apologize for recognizing America’s longstanding commitment to life-saving humanitarian aid and promotion of economic development abroad must be in furtherance of an America First foreign policy," he asserted.
Rubio criticized USAID for viewing its constituency as global entities rather than U.S. taxpayers and elected officials. He pointed out that past programs often promoted anti-American ideals.
"That ends today, and where there was once a rainbow of unidentifiable logos on life-saving aid, there will now be one recognizable symbol: the American flag," he said.
The Secretary noted that developing nations have expressed a preference for trade over aid, suggesting they seek sustainable growth through investment rather than long-term support from agencies like USAID.
Americans are encouraged to support targeted assistance favoring nations capable of self-help. The plan includes consolidating funds for flexibility and reducing bureaucracy to respond quickly to crises while measuring impact efficiently.
"This model will also place us in a stronger position to counter China’s exploitative aid model and further our strategic interests in key regions around the world," Rubio concluded.